Arriving towards the end of pre-season preparation and already author of a decisive pass against Lens, Fabrice Abriel is now waiting for the serious business to start. "Nothing beats real competition" he says excitedly.
Pre-season is now over, what is the programme of training before the big kick-off?
We’re fine-tuning our fitness so that we have enough energy to get through the first match against Grenoble.
Your friend Edouard Cissé said in a press conference yesterday that he couldn’t wait for the league campaign to start. What about you?
None of us can wait … The preparation period was really long and we just want the competition to start. During the week things are less intense, but it is just a different way of working. Nothing beats real competition.
Is there any particular excitement within the squad just days before the first game of the season?
Not yet, I think it will come little by little as of Thursday or Friday when we will be analysing our opponents and preparing to leave for Grenoble. The pressure will then build up until kick-off.
« This season will be as tight as last year’s »
What can you tell us about your first opponents?
Having played them last season I can tell you that they have an interesting team, they put in a great first half to the season and were at the top end of the table for a long time. That gave them a safety net with the points that they had built up and they managed to finish just behind my old club (ed. : Lorient) in 12th or 13th place. For a newly promoted side their season was quite calm, the played with a lot of quality and the squad was relatively experienced. We’ll see how they get on this season as they have some new players, but you canb tell that they are focusing on a certain continuity to preserve their place in the Ligue 1.
What are you expecting for this first match, a victory?
Yes, whatever the cost … Afterwards, what will be important is how we play. We will have to be solid, see how we are going to go into this match and in what frame of mind. It will be interesting to see how things go as we will be using this type of match as a basis for the future.
The club has made a clear statement of intention with the recruitment this season. Who do you think are your principal rivals?
Just like everyone else, I think that the clubs who have been consistently present in the top 6 over the last 4 or 5 years. Of course, there are the current champions, Bordeaux, but also PSG and Lyon. We will also have to watch out for those sides that are playing in the Europa League this season and who are frequently close to the podium like Lille, Rennes and Toulouse. There is always a surprise package as well … I’m thinking principally of St Etienne or Monaco who could be part of the fight. Whatever happens, I think that this season will be as tight as last year’s.
