Philippe Montanier the coach of the Violets was the special guest in the studio of 100% TFC this Monday to launch the week which will lead us to the shock with the reception of his dolphin on Paris F.C. Saturday (3 p.m.) at the Stadium which should be sold out for the occasion and which will be live as usual in full on France Bleu Occitanie with a special one-hour broadcast before kick-off.
Did the week off help?
“Yes the players had little vacation last summer. We are now preparing for the final sprint.”
What state of mind are the players in?
“It’s difficult to predict the future. But the breaks are always good physically and mentally. We feel good for this week but also for those to come.”
And you, Philippe Montanier, how do you feel as you approach the home straight?
“I am focused, excited by this upcoming challenge. I am satisfied with the results but I remain cautious because we know, especially in football, that the truth is always fragile.”
Did you take out the calculator? What must be done to ensure the ascent?
“I think we’ll need three or four more wins out of the remaining eight matches. It’s going to be tough with some big clashes still to come.”
Are you aware of the excitement that awaits you on Saturday?
“We started the season with 5,000 spectators on the first day. We see the work done. We must be proud of the enthusiasm generated. We play for performance but also for sharing and making people happy. After the players play for the big games. And the Stadium is beautiful when it’s full.”
22,852 tickets were already sold on Monday. The gauge of 27,000 people will be reached. Toulouse will play sold out on Saturday?
“We risk achieving one of the best attendances in France, and not only in Ligue 2, among even the best of the Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 season combined.
And if the TFC wins Saturday against its runner-up, will it be sure to go back to Ligue 1?
“If we win there will still be 21 points left to distribute. When we beat Auxerre earlier in the season, behind we drew three and we saw the others come back quickly. It’s rather the gap with the 3rd that counts.”
Does the title of champion make fun of it or does it matter to you?
“First you have to climb the mountain, ensure the climb. Then we will play for the title.”
Spierings suspended on Saturday. Can your captain Brecht Dejaegere return?
“He was supposed to play with the reserves last weekend but he was ill. He will recover at the beginning of the week. It has been two and a half months since he has competed. Even if he has been training since several weeks, we will assess his form two or three days before the match in Paris on Saturday.”
The old west bend will be renamed Christophe Revault on Saturday. Do you find that logical?
“We were all marked when we learned of his death. It’s a nice gesture, he remains present. It’s a nice tribute that Christophe deserved. He came from PSG. He could very well bounce back in Ligue 1 but no, he stayed when the club went down. We met on the pitches in Le Havre and Caen. We met again many times. It was a shock when friends in common told me of his death. He’s someone I liked meeting again because he was a rich personality.”
Montanier: “I hope this season will end in apotheosis”
Are you going to try to convey this emotion to your players before the match?
There is not too much need to transmit it. It’s a match between first and second, with a tribute to a former TFC player. You will have to control your emotions because there is a game to be played.”
Is this your best coaching season?
“I liked Boulogne-sur-Mer where with amateur players (CFA) we managed to move up to Ligue 1 in five years. At Real Sociedad in Spain, we managed to reach the Champions League with the 15th budget And then there’s this one with Toulouse. What marks the most beyond the performance is the human. I have normal guys who come and go from training on the bike. beyond the performance I am sensitive to the human aspect, the communion of the players with the public. It is a special season.”
You have also experienced difficult times in recent seasons, such as your departure from Lens or Liège…
“Yes, I’ve had more difficult times than good times. I hope this season will end with a bang.”
Would that be some sort of revenge for you?
“Not at all. It’s really only football and the players that fascinate me.”
You signed for two years. Do you want to continue the adventure?
“You enter a club with the desire to stay ten years, sometimes it can only last three months. In any case, I work as if I were going to stay ten years.”
Would you like to coach the TFC in Ligue 1?
“Of course. We all came here for that because there was a real project. It will be the apotheosis to go to Ligue 1. Afterwards the hardest part begins.”
Are your best players already courted?
“The biggest difficulty will be to keep our best players yes. The best recruitment is always within the workforce.”
Healey, Van den Boomen… Which player has surprised you the most this season?
Nathan N’Goumou. He became a key player after two to three starts last season. Anthony Rouault too. It’s rare to see football school players turn professional. I had never seen that in my career or maybe at Real Sociedad because there is a strong Basque identity.”