Filipe Luís: "My players desperately wanted to win, I am proud of them"

The Monegasques remain unbeaten! Riding a five-game winning streak since the start of the 2026-2027 season, the Rouge et Blanc earned a solid draw against RC Strasbourg at the Stade de la Meinau on Matchday 4 of Ligue 1 McDonald's (1-1). After falling behind, the Principality club never gave up and fought their way back into the game thanks to a stunner from Paris Brunner. A reaction highly praised by Filipe Luís, who spoke at the post-match press conference shortly after the final whistle. Here are his key quotes 🎙️

Good evening, Filipe. What is your assessment after tonight's draw away to Strasbourg?

Playing here at Strasbourg is always a tough test. They have a very young but talented squad with some outstanding players. It is never easy to come away with a win here, so we needed to be competitive, defensively solid, and play our usual game. We knew there would be spells where we had to suffer, but I think we read the game well. Even when they dominated possession, it was hard to press because their goalkeeper was playing very high up the pitch, meaning my forwards, Aleksandr Golovin and Paris Brunner, had to put in a lot of running. The opening stages were very tough, but we eventually created some chances.

We won the ball back four or five times high up the pitch, but our decision-making let us down. We made a few sloppy errors in possession, which meant we lacked a real cutting edge in the first half. Straight after the restart, we conceded the opening goal, and of course, that made things very difficult because our pressing lacked intensity; the players couldn't get near the ball. However, we kept fighting until the final whistle with great energy. We found the equaliser and pushed right until the dying moments to snatch a win at a very difficult ground. The players desperately wanted to win, and I wanted more out of the game too, but I am proud of their effort.

How do you explain the team’s change in attitude after conceding the opening goal?

At 0-0, our build-up play was just too slow. Strasbourg are a very compact side who drop into a low block very effectively. It’s hard to find pockets of space, and they force you out wide. We were taking too long to exploit those areas and dwelling on the ball too much. But after going behind, I think my players just started to play freely and focused on our own game plan. Everything clicked back into place naturally, and we rediscovered our rhythm. As I said, we fought until the very end to win all three points, not just settle for a draw. We could have easily scored a second goal right up to the final second. I’ll say it again, they were very tough opponents, and this league is extremely competitive. That is why I am so proud of the boys.

What are your thoughts on the refereeing decisions tonight?

To err is human. Regarding the penalty shout at the end of the match, they waited almost two minutes before deciding there was no foul. But if it takes them that long to review it, it means the incident is highly subjective and hard to call. In those situations, they need to let the referee look at the monitor himself, or give managers the option to request an on-field review. The referee should have gone over to the screen because when you watch the replay, it’s a clear-cut penalty. The players are incredibly frustrated by it. Like I said, it was a tough call for him to make in real time, but with VAR available, he should have been allowed to review the footage himself.

Aside from his goal, how did you assess Paris Brunner’s performance tonight?

Their centre-backs were very aggressive and didn't leave much space in behind. But Paris handled it very well and still managed to carve out opportunities. As I mentioned, we weren't perfect in possession, but strikers are a unique breed. They might be having an off day, but give them the ball in the right area and they can decide the outcome of a match. I have complete faith in him, and seeing his work rate for the team is incredibly pleasing. He presses relentlessly, attacks the spaces, and constantly harasses defenders. I am extremely proud of his progression since I took over. He scored a magnificent goal from one of the first times we managed to play a ball inside. It was definitely tough to supply him with service tonight. After he scored, we didn’t drop back; we kept pushing for a second goal right to the end. Paris is a very passionate player. I love his energy, and he always has the absolute conviction that he is going to score.

How are you approaching the rest of the season from here on out?

There are 30 games left to play, which is a long way to go. I will analyse tonight's performance tomorrow, but my sole focus right now is our match against Lens next week. I can’t be making long-term plans; it wouldn't be professional to look that far ahead. I just want us to focus on beating Lens first, and then our ultimate goal is to finish as high up the table as possible. Time will tell.