At 37,Small Bike“as he was nicknamed on the Canebière, will play this Thursday evening against FC Nantes in the first match of the group stage of the Europa League, his 128th European match. “It’s not bad, huh“, smiles Mathieu Valbuena. Five years after moving to Turkey and three after settling in Greece, the midfielder is preparing to return to Beaujoire, a stadium in which he did not lose but which did not leave him indifferent. Interview with a happy player who wants to make the most of his last years on Greek lawns. And European, of course.
“The objective is of course to finish first in this group”
How do you judge the level of the Europa League, you who are starting your 15th European campaign?
At first, the Europa League was a bit trivialized and gradually, the clubs began to no longer trivialize it, even in France, I believe. Playing a European Cup is something fantastic even if we all want to play in the Champions League. But I find that, now, the level is very high with very good teams, even more since the creation of the Europa League Conference, the third European Cup.
We are the only Greek club to play in a European competition.
Is it a disappointment for the club not to play in the Champions League this season?
It was a big disappointment to be eliminated by Maccabi Haifa because we really wanted to play this competition after having already missed the opportunity to qualify last season. There have been many changes this summer, after this defeat with the arrival of a new coach. Pedro Martins who had been there for four years was replaced by Carlos Corberán. With him, there are other game principles. So there have been big changes and we find ourselves in the Europa League which is, all the same, a very, very good competition, very difficult. We are therefore happy, especially since we are the only Greek club to play in a European competition.
– Muhammad Enes Yildirim
How do you judge the current momentum of Olympiakos, second in the championship?
Our position is anecdotal given that it is the third day but it is true that there has been a big change. We have an experienced team but also with a lot of young people and it is true thatwe are in settings with a change of system, different expectations, a method that is also changing. Carlos Corberán worked under the leadership of Marcelo Bielsa who trained him, he is a young coach who tries to imprint his mark on the team. So there is a time to adapt, especially since there have been a lot of recruits, but hey when you’re at Olympiakos, patience is not a virtue. We need results fairly quickly and the objective is of course to finish first in this group. We have the experience of competition, we also have the qualities for it, now we will have to show it on the pitch.
I’m 37, but that’s just a number. When you feel good and you’re having fun, I don’t see why stopping.
Despite the summer’s many changes, you’re still here at 37. How do you feel ?
I feel good in my body, when I am called upon, I perform well. I have a very good relationship with the president and I am extremely well at this club. It reminds me a little of Marseille with this Mediterranean side and this fervor. I simply found the shoe for me and of course I am 37 years old, but it is only a number. When you feel good and you’re having fun, I don’t see why stopping. Today, I also have a role where I accompany young people but I take. If we take stock since I arrived three years ago, it’s three league titles, a Cup, some great runs in the Europa League like against PSV Eidhoven or Arsenal. These are moments that I live and which are magnificent.
– Adrian Dennis
What makes you so happy in Greece?
It is a whole in fact. The fantastic quality of life, the club to which I have become very attached, the love that the supporters give me. There is nothing more important to me. It reminds me of my years in Marseille and it’s true that I became attached to a country that I discovered and to this club as well. There is an incredible fervor, players with whom I have great relationships. Believe me, if i really didn’t feel happy, i would stop. But I feel great and in addition we win titles.
“It’s good that a club like Nantes is rediscovering the European epics”
Did you think you were going to be so fulfilled when you signed in 2019?
At the time, I was at Fenerbahce and when José Anigo [ancien entraîneur de Marseille, devenu directeur sportif, ndlr] offered me this challenge, I was a little reluctant at the time. But the fact that things are going really well, that we have won titles, that I am also performing well, helped me to tell myself that I really found the shoe for me. At an age like mine, the most important thing is to have a lot of fun and I don’t see why I would stop when I feel very good physically.
You are about to return to Nantes. What memories do you have of Beaujoire?
There is a magnificent audience, a fervor too. Nantes is a story, a magnificent club. We all know the epic of Nantes in the Champions League, with beautiful game, the Nantes game. Personally, my last memory is not necessarily a good one for Nantes. But for me yes. We had won 6-0 with Lyon and I had scored. I hope it will still be the case (laughs).
– Jean-Sebastien Evrard
How do you view the game set up by Antoine Kombouaré?
He is a coach that I really appreciate. I remember that on RMC we had a debate on Kombouaré and I had rented this trainer because I always liked it, even when he was at his other clubs. I think he’s doing a very, very good job at Nantes and even if the start of the season is complicated, that doesn’t take anything away from the work he’s been doing for two years. Besides, I was happy that they won the Coupe de France, even if I was a little disappointed for Christophe Galtier, who I also know well.
Were you surprised to see Nantes qualify for the Europa League?
When you want to be European, it’s complicated because there are very good teams in France. In addition, there is no longer the League Cup. There is only the Coupe de France left and to win it, you have to complete a route that is really not easy. It had been 18 years since Nantes had been in the European Cup and I find that, for a club with a history and a passion, it’s good that he finds the European epics.