Francesco Farioli spoke to the media at the traditional post-match press conference following OGC Nice’s 3-1 win away to Lens.

What is your reaction to this victory?
It’s very positive. Coming here after playing PSG on Wednesday was very challenging, both mentally and physically. Today we reproduced a performance of the same standard. We played a very good match, as we have before, with a very positive attitude from everyone. I'm here talking with you, but I should be with my players, my staff and the club’s directors, because the period we've been through over the last 40 days has been very difficult. I'm very happy with the performance and the result.

Did you modify anything in the preparation of this match? You had that little slice of luck tonight that has eluded you in recent matches…
(Directly to the journalist) You're always following us, you have seen our performances and the type of football we try to produce. Tonight, nothing has changed apart from the fact that we scored with our first opportunity. Unfortunately, that's what we've lacked over the last 40 days, and even a little before that too. So tonight, the thing that made the difference was scoring. It was a match with great effort, discipline and attention to detail. A match of details, which are fundamental things for us. The first two goals came in situations where we won possession high up the pitch, putting pressure on and winning the ball in the opposition final third, which is one of our characteristics, one of the things we believe in doing and have been insisting on since the start of the season. We had some good moments with the ball, we managed to handle the different aspects of possession well, when to accelerate, when to slow the tempo. It was the same game plan as always, but with a different result to the last few outings. Maybe that's the only thing, added to a little more optimism and spirit.

Can you tell us what happened in Belgium, between the game against Paris and tonight against Lens?
The 48 hours the team spent in Belgium, as I've already said, was something we'd planned beforehand, quite simply because it was the best strategy for the players’ recovery. It was two days in which we really put all our attention and desire into recovering our physical and mental energy. In terms of our training, we prepared for the match during the day, working only on video. On the pitch, it was all about recovery. So we found some great resources mentally. Preparing for a match against an opponent who, with the ball, plays a slightly different game to any other opponent we've faced, required a few tactical adjustments. The players had a 20-minute video session this morning and another 20-minutes of video this afternoon, and they had a good understanding of the things we needed to do with and without the ball. It’s one thing to come into the game with a clear game plan but, above all, you need the courage to apply it, because coming here and playing a match going ‘man-to-man’, all over the pitch, against a team that is so physical and so strong in open spaces, required a lot of courage, a lot of confidence and a lot of faith. The players showed it. I think that was the best thing about today’s performance.

 

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