“There won’t be as much turn over because I’m taking the same 18-man squad that played against Lyon. But there will be some changes all the same. I think the situation was a little different in Germany against Schalke 04. There was the match against Marseille straight after. This weekend it’s Rennes, but we’re playing at home against Racing. So there’s no travelling, which means we can prepare differently.”
After the defeat in Germany, a victory would appear imperative to continue in the competition...
“Yes, even if we would still have a chance to qualify if we lost, but I don’t want to think about that possibility. We are entertaining a very good Racing Santander side, we’ve seen them play. They’ve been playing some good football in the league, but we have to count on our home matches if we want to pass the group stage.”
Is the Ligue 1 still your priority?
“We won’t be sacrificing any competition, but, and I repeat, our main competition is the league. I haven’t changed my mind. In my opinion, Sunday’s match against Rennes is more important than Thursday’s game against Racing Santander, but that doesn’t mean we’re taking it easy in the UEFA Cup. I understand that European competition is essential for the club. I’ve always had a good record in Europe and have always believed it’s a great challenge for the players. But, you have to take everything into consideration and think everything over.”
The players appear to be approaching this match without much pressure...
“When I talk about confidence, that’s what I’m talking about. Today, we can prepare our matches calmly, focussed. There will always be pressure at Paris. But we’ve had a few good results recently and shown our fans that we’re prepared to fight to get results. People can feel it. Now we can prepare for matches in a slightly different manner.”
| Fabrice Pancrate (PSG forward) “If we lose, things will get very difficult. My idea is that we only think about winning and getting as many points as possible, as quickly as possible. Our next game against Manchester City is going to be a big match, with a very special atmosphere. A win against Racing Santander will be the best way in which to prepare for that. We qualified for this competition, so now we’re going to give it everything. It’s always fun to play European matches and it’s a chance for everyone to get some playing time. The league is still PSG’s priority, but the UEFA Cup is still the chance to test ourselves against European opposition.” |
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