Breel Embolo: "We must be smarter and manage our emotions"
By his own admission, he felt an enormous relief after scoring against Red Star Belgrade. But after having opened his account in the Champions League against Red Star (in a 5-1 win), Breel Embolo was once again decisive in the Derby this weekend. It was a goal that gave him an extra shot of confidence despite the defeat, as he explained in a press conference. 🎙️
His latest performances
It’s always nice to score. There were some good games and others where I wasn’t up to par. I knew how to put in th work, and I have to say that I have a very strong team behind me. But it’s certain that with these two goals I feel a weight lifted. Now I also hope to provide assists and continue to be impactful.
I am better connected with the other players, I try to link up with them, but also to help the team by putting in work defensively. And offensively, we create a lot of chances with Balo’, George, Maghnes, Taki’, Eliesse, so we know that this part of the team has strong potential. But it is not only the attacking side of things that sums up our game, the defensive sector is just as important.
About his two goals
In the last few weeks, I was playing well even if there were no goals to score. I created chances and for me that’s the most important thing! When you’re a striker, the hardest part is when you don’t have any. Then, it’s obvious that you have to finish these chances with a goal. Offside is part of the game, now we know that with VAR everything is being looked at, I could have finished the week with four goals, but two were disallowed. I have to keep going in any case to keep going!
Le but de Breel Embolo pour donner l'avantage aux Rouge & Blanc juste avant la pause 😍🎥 pic.twitter.com/wMQfcz6xcx
— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) October 23, 2024
On the last two matchess
We felt that we played well against Lille,and I think we deserved better, because we did well when we were a man down. In the Derby in Nice, we gave the match away on two somewhat stupid plays, so we have to be smarter and manage our emotions better.
In the first half, we can’t be criticized for much except the last minute. Anyway, we talk to each other every time in the locker room to bring out the good and the bad, it’s an aspect that we are working on, we are trying to be calmer.
On Denis Zakaria
Zak’ is our captain, he’s a plus for us on the pitch, whether in Ligue 1 or the Champions League. He has experience on the pitch, and I hope he’ll come back soon, even if we have quality players to replace him. He felt uncomfortable during the warm-up, and the coach decided not to play him. Soungou’ was ready to replace him. On my goal? I looked for him to celebrate with him, I think it showed (smiles). Denis has made a lot of progress, now he can score… even with his head (smile)!
He has a very important role as captain, which is close to his heart. He lost his previous partner in midfield, but he was able to integrate Lamine perfectly. He’s a simple guy, he works hard for the team and exudes a sense of calm. I’ve known him for a long time, I was his teammate at Gladbach and in the national team. I am happy that he made this choice to come to the Principality, he always pushes his teammates. He is “family”, we talk about everything and nothing, I am happy to see him and work with him on a daily basis, we share a lot of things.
On the team’s ambitions
We watch our competitors’ matches and Ligue 1 in general. But above all, we want to focus on ourselves, perform well on the pitch, be able to recover well and above all we want to forget the last match in order to move forward. At certain times, it’s true that we can look at the table and say to ourselves that there is the possibility of being a contender. In any case, we will do everything to achieve our ambitions.
On the coach’s style of play
As a striker, it’s a philosophy that I love. This is the third year that I’ve worked with him, so I’m starting to know him well. He’s keen to give us his advice on both the offensive and defensive side of things, because the two are linked.
The match against Bologna
Honestly, I’m not thinking about it yet, even though there are Swiss players in this team: Dan N’Doye, Remo Freuler and Michel Aebischer. We teased each other a bit in the national team in this match, but above all we want to gain confidence and go for a win on Friday, before turning our attention to the Champions League.
His 100th career goal
Was it my 100th against Belgrade? I didn’t even know (smiles). Ah, as a pro! I also told myself that I had scored quite a few at underage levels (laughs). I’ve learned it now, but it feels good, it’s not something that happens every day so I’m happy, like for the 101st against Nice, even if I would have liked the 100th to come before (smiles).
