The reactions of Lienard and Ilenikhena after qualifying against L'Union
A victory to end the year well. At the end of a match where seriousness and concentration were required, the Monegasques won against Union Saint-Jean (1-4), in their first appearance in the Coupe de France, and thus punched their ticket for the Round of 32. It was a qualification that Yann Lienard and George Ilenikhena spoke about in front of the media post-match. 🎙️
Good evening Yann. What were the coach’s instructions today?
He really insisted on the seriousness that we had to have during this match, as well as on the speed needed against this team from L’Union Saint-Jean. That’s what we were able to do, by showing our seriousness and respect. We could also have made the score heavier, but overall it was good!
Tell us about your performance for your first professional game…
I’m happy to have been able to participate in this victory, especially with this save at the end of the first half. I think that made the task easier for the team because it was a save at the right time, at 2-0.
In a team like AS Monaco, you have to know how to stay focused because chances are rare against us. They are a great team that plays at the top of the table in Ligue 1, they are likely to concede few attacks, so you have to know how to always be vigilant to be decisive when necessary.
How did you manage your defense?
I have no hang-ups about communicating with players like Thilo (Kehrer), Wilfried (Singo) or Mohammed (Salisu), who play in the Champions League. I work with them every day in training, and they themselves ask for this, because if I don’t give them the orders, maybe they’ll have trouble getting into a situation where they need me. I did my job by putting them back in position and communicating with them and I think it worked well today.
The reaction of George Ilenikhena
Good evening George. You were serious today…
We were keen to respect the opponent, because we wanted to win this match. That’s what we did, so the team is very happy. We tried to create as many chances as possible and score as many goals as possible.
Even if there were missed chances, the score at the end of the match shows that we were serious. We knew it was going to be a difficult match, against a team that plays in a low block, a little tight. We wanted to end the year on a good note.
How did you find L’Union Saint-Jean?
The goalkeeper made some great saves, he stopped two penalties, that’s huge! I also had a chance that he turned away. He had a great game, he’s a good goalkeeper. But the players also managed to get the ball out well at times, that surprised us. They’re a good team, who knew how to play with the ball.
