The reactions of Camara, Balogun and Akliouche after Marseille

It's a victory that counts double! Just like the three points they earned in Lyon before the break, AS Monaco players repeated the feat against another direct rival, Olympique de Marseille (2-1). This win puts them level on points with their opponents, a match that Lamine Camara, Folarin Balogun, and Maghnes Akliouche analyzed in the mixed zone.🎙️

Good evening Lamine. We imagine this victory is a relief for you.

Of course this victory feels good; we knew it wasn't going to be easy against a good Olympique de Marseille team. We did everything we needed to do to win after the international break. The first half was difficult because OM had possession and were well-organized. We then woke up in the second half, which shows that everyone is focused. We just need to keep going like this to hope to finish in third place.

It was important to win against a direct competitor…

If we want to hope for third place, we have to win against our direct rivals. Everyone is aware of that. To win the other matches, we'll have to keep this momentum going and put in the necessary effort. We're taking each match one at a time; we're not thinking about what comes next. We played against Marseille, we won, but the Paris FC match on Friday is also important.

It seems that, like in Lyon, you know how to adapt to your opponent.

As I told you, the international break slowed us down a bit, and we were a little lost in the first half. But in the second half, we managed to pick ourselves up, both physically and mentally. The team really woke up, but we need to keep this momentum going. We have to give everything as a team to win matches.

A word on Folarin Balogun's exceptional goal?

Balo' is the man of the moment; he's helping us win matches. I hope he continues like this, but we have faith in him. We know he can score goals at any time. Our job is to give him the ball, and that's what we're doing well right now. I hope he continues like this to help the team. (Goal of the season?) I don't know, but I told him it was one of the best goals I've seen in my career. It shows he's in great form and full of confidence.

Is the goal now third place?

There are many teams that can realistically aim for it, so it's going to be difficult. We need to stay grounded and take it one game at a time. We know there are other important matches, like against Lille, who are ahead of us. We'll try to get good results.

What are your thoughts on the nominations of Folarin Balogun and Maghnes Akliouche for Player of the Month for March?

Both players are in great form and are performing well for us. They deserve to be nominated for this award, and I hope one of them wins.

Good evening Folarin. Did you score your best goal of your career?

It's one of my best goals, yes, especially since its importance makes it even more special. We're in good form and I'm very happy with this victory. (At the peak of his career?) I think so! The help and support I receive from the coach and Kevin (Mirallas) allow me to perform well. We have excellent coaches, an excellent staff, and everyone wants to help us improve, and I think that shows in our team play. We're more united, and that's the coach's job.

Are you confident about your chances of qualifying for the Champions League?

The most important thing is to stay humble. We went through a difficult period this season, so we know that football can be a demanding sport. The best thing is to stay humble, I repeat, and take each match as it comes. The coach often reminds us of this, and we'll continue to do so. Every victory is important, but against Marseille, we wanted to win, so I'm very happy that we were able to do it.

Do you have any regrets after this difficult start to the season?

I definitely have some regrets, because we're now winning matches we used to lose. If we had won them earlier, we would have been in an even better position, but that's football, that's how it is. Sometimes, a deflected ball can end up in the back of the net, for example. The most important thing is to stick together, work hard, and keep fighting.

Good evening Maghnes. It's a big result against a direct competitor tonight.

We knew it was a very important match. This result is consistent with what we've been achieving for a while now. We're all together, united, and we fight from start to finish. We're in good form, we're enjoying ourselves, we're getting along well, and we're working hard. (On the physical side) It's an aspect we've improved on; we've worked in training to be this strong. It's an important point.

When you were 14 points behind Marseille several matches ago, did you think it was possible to catch them?

In the locker room, we say that not many people believed in us at that time. Now, for weeks, we've been showing on the pitch that we haven't given up and that with hard work, the results come. We're proud of ourselves, but there are still six matches left.

Have the matches against PSG been a turning point for the end of the season?

Absolutely, because Paris Saint-Germain is one of the best teams in Europe. Being able to play well against them builds the team's confidence and allows us to string together good performances. We've shown that we're a united group, a group that wants to show everyone that we're capable of great things. We're taking it one game at a time, and we obviously want to win them all, and we'll fight to the very end for that.

How are you feeling physically after your trip to the United States with the French national team?

It took me a little while to recover from the jet lag, but now I'm fine, I feel good. I had a minor injury, but everything's okay. Personally, I had a good chance from a pass by Balo that I should have put away, but I'm happy because we're continuing like this. Everyone's scoring goals and that's great.

What did you think of Folarin Balogun's goal?

It was a beautiful goal. We have to thank Kevin (Mirallas), who communicates a lot and had told him about that move, but the execution was simply magnificent. He's in great form, and that's a real boost for us.