Francesco Farioli spoke to the press following his side's victory (1-3) at Strasbourg on Sunday afternoon.

💬 Francesco Farioli : « Ces trois points valent probablement plus que trois points ».

L'analyse de l'entraineur de l'#OGCNice après #RCSAOGCN (1-3) ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/983rwvhWgc

— OGC Nice (@ogcnice) April 28, 2024

Coach, one can imagine that this victory feels really good, especially considering the way it was achieved?

It's a very important result, a win of great value against a team that we knew would pose difficulties for us. They're an organised team, with a clear game plan and high-quality players. An attacker like Emegha is very dangerous every time he touches the ball, very difficult to defend one-on-one. I'm really pleased with our reaction. We finally managed to turn a match around and get the result we wanted. Congratulations to the boys who were struggling a bit after 10 minutes but managed to get back into the game. We've rediscovered our identity. It's truly a win of great value.

You don't like to talk too much about the league table and competitors, but this is a decisive victory towards the end of the season where points count double...

Certainly, every result, every point changes the balance at this stage of the season. The three points today are a crucial step in our season, but it won't be enough. As I've said in previous press conferences, we'll have to fight and sweat until the end. There are still nine points at stake. We'll need to stay focused, especially against Le Havre. We saw their performance in Paris on Saturday night. They probably already have their minds on preparing for our match. We expect three very difficult games, and we'll see on 19 May where we deserve to be.

You've scored 8 goals in your last 3 matches. What have you changed to make the team much more effective?

We haven't changed anything at all in recent weeks. We've been working as we always have. As I've always said, we're a team that creates a lot of chances, but unfortunately, we've lacked a bit of precision until now. Take Morgan Sanson's goal, for example. I don't know how many times we've found ourselves in that position this season, making different choices. I've often said that what matters most is putting it in the back of the net, not trying to make the perfect pass. Maybe we've improved on that, showing more maturity in our final decisions, knowing when to shoot and making the right move at the right time. It's a great satisfaction for our goal scorers.

A few weeks ago, you mentioned that perhaps your midfield lacked energy. Are you satisfied with this area of play in recent matches?

It's clear that for our style of play, we need a midfield with a lot of energy, freshness, and strength. Finally having all our midfielders available allows us to make choices, changes and bring energy onto the pitch. I think of the return of Youssouf Ndayishimiye, Khephren Thuram finding consistency again, Morgan Sanson and Hicham Boudaoui both finally available, as well as Pablo Rosario, whom I use in different positions, along with all the others who haven't played but are equally important. I want to address the case of Youssouf Ndayishimiye because I've read things that don't reflect reality at all. There have been talks of misunderstandings; in reality, he's one of the players with whom I have the best, most direct rapport. We've known each other since Turkey, and he's a player coming back from a serious injury. Right now, we're managing him to allow him to recover and return to his best form. I wanted to clarify these rumours being circulated because that's exactly what they are. We need everyone's energy, and I'm sorry to see that some around us would try to disrupt that.

I'd like to add something about two very important players, Gaëtan Laborde and Romain Perraud. Today, they played about a dozen minutes. They made a very committed entrance with exceptional sacrifice. They exemplify what this team, this group, is about. They're two experienced players with many matches under their belt who currently accept my choices. When they come on, they bring a lot to the team. In today's result, their work, sacrifice, and determination were also key factors.

What will happen in the coming days, given that the match against PSG has been postponed*? Is there a friendly scheduled?

We will finalise the schedule tonight when we return to Nice. There were still a few uncertainties, but now we have all the information to plan it out properly. The players will have a few days off to recharge physically and mentally, then we'll have a short training block, followed by another day off, and then a typical week to prepare for Le Havre. It will be a mix of some rest days and a lot of workdays to go into these final matches in the best possible physical and mental condition. As for a friendly, it's not planned yet, but we'll evaluate that possibility.

What can you tell us about Dante's goal? At his age, as the captain, is he a bit of a guide for this team?

We're very happy with this goal, both for its importance and the fact that he scored it. It's the icing on the cake. We've worked hard on set pieces this season, but I believe we've only scored three or four goals from these situations. Considering the number of set pieces we've had, that's not much. Being able to score from a corner, with our captain, who got us back on track, is something that makes us very happy and proud. I must also highlight Dante's performance; it's difficult to find the right adjective to describe it.

*Originally scheduled for the weekend of 4 May, the match between OGC Nice and PSG has been postponed to Wednesday 15 May at 9 pm, in order to lighten PSG's schedule before their Champions League semi-final against Dortmund.

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