Quite simply, AS Monaco is unbeaten when he plays in central defence. Aregular in central defense since the end of January and the draw against Juventus (0-0), Denis Zakaria has stabilized Monaco's back line and enabled the Rouge et Blanc to rack up seven consecutive Ligue 1 victories, putting them back in contention for a top-three finish. Speaking at a press conference two days before the trip to Paris FC (Friday, 7 pm), the captain discussed this success and the importance of this upcoming match. 🎙️
A winning streak that feels good.
Is everything easier right now? I don't know, but in any case, it's definitely good to string together wins like this. It's better to play with a positive feeling! But every match is difficult, so I wouldn't say it's easier, but it's certainly better in terms of confidence and mental state.
A close finish to the season, right to the very end
I think the team knows it's been a pretty unusual season; it's been very, very, very tough. We've managed to turn things around, but it's not over yet. We still have six games left, and it will be up to us to perform well, give our best, and finish as high as possible in the standings.
We don't feel invincible at all! Like I said, we've come a long way and it's been very tough. I think when you experience a season like this, you know that in football, things can change very quickly. Mentally, you have to be at 100% and tell yourself that every match is crucial because it truly is!
It's going to be intense right up to the last day. We're happy to be able to fight for these positions and we'll continue to give our all match after match to try and get as many points as possible and finish as high as we can.
Denis Zakaria
His repositioning into central defense
It's true that since I've been playing at the back, things have been a bit better. I'm a team player, so I put the team first, and if I can help the team in this position, I'm certainly happy to do it. As long as I'm on the pitch and I can play, I'm happy even in this position.
Lamine Camara's Development
What Lamine Camara is achieving this season is incredible! He already showed us this last year. He's a fantastic player with a great career ahead of him, and he helps us enormously. It's great to see young players progressing, and I think he's not the only one; we could mention many other names. That's also what's so great about AS Monaco: seeing so many young players developing within this squad!
Aladji Bamba's becoming a Revelation
Since I arrived, Aladji Bamba has been one of the players who has progressed the most at AS Monaco. At the time, he was still with the Elite Group and trained occasionally with the first team. We could already see his potential, but this year he has really taken a step forward. He is asserting himself more and more each day, and I think he is a player with a very bright future ahead of him. He helps the team enormously, thanks to his ability to turn, play forward, and beat players. He is a powerful, technically gifted player. AS Monaco can be very happy to have gems like him!
Eric Dier's role in the team
Eric Dier is an exceptional player! What he brings to the team is quite remarkable. He exudes a sense of calm through his incredible professionalism. It's been a difficult season for him with the injuries, but he's back. We have six matches left, and we're definitely going to need Eric. In any case, we're very happy to have him with us, and we know he's going to be an important player going forward.
He's very close to the team, a source of comfort for the players, and his desire to succeed is highly contagious. It's largely thanks to him that we've managed to turn things around, and we hope it continues like this.
Denis Zakaria, on Sébastien Pocognoli
Paul Pogba's Return
Paul Pogba is a bit like Eric Dier, actually. I think it's also been a somewhat complicated season for him with the injuries, but now he's in good form. Beyond that, we all know Paul Pogba; we all know he's an exceptional player and a great person who brings his zest for life to this team. We're incredibly happy to have him with us, and he's definitely going to be important at the end of the season, in these last few matches, to give the team that extra edge and try to go as far as possible!
The Impact of Coach Sébastien Pocognoli
What I'm about to say is pretty amazing, because I've held press conferences when things were really bad, when we were in a real crisis, but Sébastien Pocognoli never changed! He arrived with clear ideas and a defined mindset, all while being very confident, and I think that's what made him so strong. He's very close to the team, reassuring for the players, and his desire to succeed is very contagious. It's largely thanks to him that we managed to turn things around, and we hope it continues like this.
His attachment to AS Monaco
As I said, I've always felt good at Monaco. I really feel comfortable at this club because it has given me so much and helped me a lot when I wasn't doing so well. So I'm very grateful to be here and I really love this club. I'm not really thinking about my future right now, but rather about performing well on the pitch with AS Monaco.
