Press Conference

Replay | Payet's press conference ahead of OM - Lille

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OM.net
On Friday 20 April 2018 at 04:27
OM.net

The victory at troyes

"At the end of the match, I was pretty angry. That's right. I took a step back, we talked between us. As I said before, against an opponent who is playing for his survival, we should have managed this meeting better. And there is no offense meant to Troyes. We allowed goals, twice. Then, of course, it finished in victory, but we can still do better. The three points were achieved through individual achievements. But collectively, we could have been better."

On his current form

"I'm fine right now. The injuries of the first half of the season are behind me. Since the beginning of 2018, I am well, physically. I found my stride. In the return match against Leipzig, I played a very good game."

On the return of mitroglou

"We all wanted to help Kostas. He is an important member of the team. He is one of the attackers who can help us win matches. He can switch an and do a lot on his own. That's why as captain and midfielder, I trust him. He brings a lot to the group and not only when he scores. Up front against Leipzig, he made a huge impact on the opposing defense. "

On LOSC's Season

"It affects me, even if a lot has changed since I left LOSC. I have a lot of respect for coach Christophe Galtier. But he is not the type to let go of anything. I hope he will keep the club in L1. On our side, we will have to be careful ... "

What's at stake in OM-Lille

"When playing against a desperate opponent, it will be important to start strong and to kill the match off quickly. I expect a complicated meeting. Lille is not going to give us a gift. We are in the final sprint of the season. It is now a little more difficult. We cannot let go of our momentum. There is no room for errors. We must not look at others anymore. We just have to play to win. "

Can the European fixtures affect the League?

"There can be fatigue. But at the same time, the more you win and the more you trust. Maybe our qualification against Leipzig allowed us to come back and win against Troyes? I know that the people of Marseille dream that we win the Europa League. We would qualify for the UEFA Champions League. But no question of leaving the championship. "

On the European craze in Marseille ...

"I have not known such a craze while wearing this white jersey. At times, I feel that we are in the Europa League only. All the people of Marseilles speak only of the European Cup. It's pretty impressive. We all saw the scenes of joy after Leipzig. But we cannot be distracted. Our next objective is to beat Lille and nothing else!"

On the absences due to injuries

"We handled that well. We often talk about individuals, but the group is much more important. In Leipzig, in the first leg, we proved that we are a group and that players who do not play often must bring their game. That's what they did. I am referring to Bouba (Kamara), who had not played for a long time and who answered all the doubts in a European match. There was also Clinton Njie, who stood tall in the league against Troyes.

About the coach Rudi Garcia

"His handling of the turn-over was our big strength this season. There is healthy competition and comfort to alternate matches when you feel the need. He handles that perfectly. He handles the pressure perfectly. He makes hard choices and they are paying off. He is not afraid to make strong decisions. He always insists on the rigor and combativeness of the group.”