The reactions of Youssouf Fofana and Mohammed Salisu on their returns
Like the team, he played a top game. Very important in the heart of midfield and also a goalsscorer for the second goal in the last quarter of an hour, Youssouf Fofana played a huge role as the Rouge et Blanc won in Rennes (1-2). It was an important result, since it allowed them to temporarily climb into second place, to the delight of the Monegasque captain and Mohammed Salisu, both of whom spoke in the mixed zone. 🎙
Good evening Youssouf. How do you analyze this success in the immediate aftermath of it?
It’s a great victory for us, against a great Rennes team. I find that their position in the table does not at all reflect the face shown by this team. For our part, we want to continue our momentum, after the victory against Montpellier (2-0). We had to build on it, and that’s what we did very well.
Is AS Monaco more solid defensively now?
We are perhaps a little less spectacular and more solid, it’s true. The teams certainly expect more from us too, there is less of a surprise effect. They know a little more about our organization, our way of playing. But as long as we win at the end, that suits us very well. Afterwards, we must not underestimate Rennes, who have big ambitions.
And along the way, you earn points…
Yes, even if the match was tough at the end. For the first 60 minutes we had things in hand, and we just needed to score a goal. Then we struggled a bit, which saw us have to overcome a red card and a penalty. But we knew how to manage it, and get a victory, perhaps also thanks to the mistakes of past years. This kind of win is nice, we stuck together, we were solid and in the end the result was great.
The next step is to play a complete match, from the first to the last minute?
Having several phases is part of our football, which is very attack. It’s normal that we concede certain chances, but if we could reduce them, that would be perfect. It’s up to us to move on to the next match, whichever way actually.
Tell us about this first goal of the season in Ligue 1 for you…
(He smiles) Are we in the 15th matchday now? It came quite late, but he it was there at the right time! That’s what my partners told me, and if it can help the team, that makes me happy. In any case, I would like to point out that this is not “my job”. If I score I’m happy, but I don’t make it an obsession.
I’m not particularly interested in stats, even if they’re important. Above all, I’m trying to have a good match. I think I can still do a lot better in certain situations, especially on the penalty that I take for myself.
𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐋𝐄 ⚔️
1⃣-2⃣ #SRFCASM pic.twitter.com/jVnIuQXUT3
— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) December 9, 2023
What does moving in to a provisional second place mean to you?
We are moving forward step by step, we are doing our part and we will wait for the result from Nice quietly. But I admit that we don’t bother with this table at the moment.
A word on the return of Mohammed Salisu…
It does him a lot of good to come back to competition. He trained for a long time away from the group, sometimes two sessions a day. We saw him every day, he worked hard. And this evening we saw it in his performance, he immediately was in form he showed us that we can count on him.
And on Philipp Köhn’s decisive save…
This last strike, he was really after it! Philipp has gotten us out of 2-3 problems per match each time since the start of the season. Like Sali, he got in tune and is integrated very well into the group. And tonight, he’s really doing us good.
The reaction of Mohammed Salisu
Good evening Mohammed. What is your feeling after your first match with AS Monaco?
I am really very happy to have played this first match, and proud too. The most important thing is that we picked up an important victory. It was tough, but we did everything to bring home the three points, and I’m very happy for that.
« 𝐽𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑖𝑠 𝑡𝑟𝑒̀𝑠 ℎ𝑒𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑢𝑥 𝑑’𝑎𝑣𝑜𝑖𝑟 𝑓𝑎𝑖𝑡 𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑑𝑒́𝑏𝑢𝑡𝑠 »
Pour sa première en Rouge & Blanc, Mohammed Salisu nous partage son ressenti 🎙️
1⃣-2⃣ #SRFCASM pic.twitter.com/3oeXrS9Fsd
— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) December 9, 2023
How did you feel being back on the pitch?
Honestly, it was a great feeling that I hadn’t felt in a long time. But I had to make my debut today and I’m very happy I did. I missed everything, the competition, the supporters, the atmosphere. Today I had the chance to experience it all again, it’s great!
What did your teammates say to you after the game?
They were very happy for me, that I was returning to competition after a long time. I am very grateful for all the support they have shown me since the beginning. I really want to thank them. Today I already felt 100% capable, since I managed to play 90 minutes.
What were the coach’s instructions for you?
Once again it was a special match for me, because the first in a long time. We train like we play, so I already knew what to do and what to avoid. So it was really easy for me to adapt.
How did you see the match?
In the first half I think we controlled things, without having the chance to make things happen. But in the second half we managed to score, even if we received this red card at the start of the last quarter of an hour.
It was tough for the team, but the most important thing is that we managed to win this match. Especially since it’s difficult to come and win here in Rennes, who are a good team. So this is a significant win for us!
You are now in second place…
Yes but honestly we are focused on the next day. We obviously hope to win every match, with the right mentality.
A word on Philipp Köhn’s save at the very end of the match?
It was a very nice save, very important for us! We are lucky to have him in goal. he showed what he was capable of, so I’m happy for him. He is a very good goalkeeper, who helps the team a lot and I am very happy to have him among us.
