Reactions 10 January 2026, 19:54

Eric Dier: "There are many positive things to take away from this qualification."

Having returned to the pitch during the victory in the round of 32 of the Coupe de France against Orléans (1-3), the English defender spoke in the mixed zone to express his satisfaction.

A successful comeback. Back in the starting lineup after more than three months of absence, Eric Dier fully participated in AS Monaco’s qualification for the round of 16 of the Coupe de France against US Orléans (1-3). Speaking in the mixed zone after the match, the English defender expressed his satisfaction with the result and the team’s solidarity shown in the second half while playing with ten men.

Good evening, Eric. What are your thoughts after this qualification?

An away cup match is never easy, as I’ve experience several times throughout my career. We have to give a lot of credit to US Orléans, who played a very good match, even though the dynamics of the game changed after the red card, which resulted from an unfortunate incident. It’s the second one in a row, and we have to accept it and adapt when it happens.

Nevertheless, I think there are many positives to take away from this qualification and this second half because we defended very well, remaining united, compact, and resilient, and then we even created chances despite being a man down. These two goals can therefore be seen as a reward for the hard work we put in.

"On a été 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐝𝐞́𝐬 jusqu'à la fin" 💪

🗣️ La réaction de 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐈𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐤𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐚, double buteur en fin de match, après la qualification en Coupe de France !

1️⃣-3️⃣ #USOASM pic.twitter.com/ePE0XGOONw

— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) January 10, 2026

don't really believe that winning one game or having one good training session is enough to change everything; on the contrary, consistency is key. Nevertheless, I do believe in momentum in football, so I think we need to take the positives from what we did today, while also acknowledging what we can improve, and then work on those areas. Good results will come from that.

Eric DierOn a positive outcome

Do you think the outcome of this match can change the course of your season?

Personally, I firmly believe that we need to work hard every day, train properly, and prepare as best we can for every match. I don’t really believe that winning one game or having one good training session is enough to change everything; on the contrary, consistency is key. Nevertheless, I do believe in momentum in football, so I think we need to take the positives from what we did today, while also acknowledging what we can improve, and then work on those areas. Good results will come from that.

How did you feel about your return to the pitch?

I felt great, and I’m now 100%. It had been a long time since I’d played, so it’s nice to be back on the pitch. This injury was unfortunate because I haven’t been injured very often in my career. I had plenty of time to recover and get completely ready. It was difficult and frustrating not being able to play and help my teammates in matches and in training, even though I tried to find ways to support them.