Thilo Kehrer: "Everyone has a role to play in maintaining momentum"
He was a monstrous presence against Paris Saint-Germain last weekend (1-3). Awarded a rating of 8 in l’Équipe and included in the Team of the Week for Matchday 25 of Ligue 1 McDonald’s, Thilo Kehrer is ambitious at the end of this season with AS Monaco. It is therefore with the desire to extend their current winning streak against Brest at the Stade Louis-II this Saturday (kick-off 9:05 pm) that the German defender spoke to the media. 🎙️
Regarding AS Monaco’s strong finishes to the season
Every season is different. The scenarios change, and the team evolves as well. But there is indeed a shared mindset: the desire to finish the season as strongly as possible. We’ve already experienced this type of end to the season here, so we know what it takes. It requires a tremendous amount of intensity, a lot of concentration, and above all, real unity within the squad to pull everyone in the same direction. We also know it’s never easy. There are nine matches left, and all our attention is focused on this run of games, so the objective is to take them one at a time.
The challenges presented in Ligue 1
In football, anything is possible. Ligue 1 is a very tough league, where many surprises can happen, so the best approach is to prepare as thoroughly as possible for each match. We now have almost a week between each game, which allows us to work well in training. It’s also where we set the necessary standards to be ready for the weekend and achieve the best possible results.
Au travail avant la réception de 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 ⚙️ pic.twitter.com/SmmtJB3NpF
— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) March 10, 2026
On Stade Brestois 29’s good form
Brest is a very physical team that uses crosses a lot and plays quite directly, so they’re never an easy opponent. Ludovic Ajorque is a striker with many qualities. He knows his strengths very well and knows how to exploit them in his game. We’ll need to be intelligent in our approach, but also very present in duels and tackles to have a good match and get a better result than in the first leg (a 1-0 win for Brest).
The improvement of Folarin Balogun
I think his biggest improvement has been mental! He now has much more consistent determination and confidence. Whether he scores or misses a chance, his energy in the game remains the same. He continues to work incredibly hard for the team and put in a lot of effort. Physically and athletically, he’s very strong, and he’s increasingly finding himself in the right positions. He has that goalscoring instinct, that determination in front of goal that allows him to be decisive, like against Paris Saint-Germain (1-3). Naturally, this brings a lot to the team.
𝑬𝒏𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒅𝒆́𝒄𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒇 😮💨⁰
La frappe de 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐧 pour son 5️⃣e but en 5️⃣ matchs ! #PSGASM I 1️⃣-3️⃣ pic.twitter.com/uV0ezW9ozn— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) March 9, 2026
Physically, he’s always been quick and strong in duels. That hasn’t changed much. The difference is that he now uses his qualities even better. He chooses his movements and runs more effectively, which allows him to showcase his strengths more. In training, it’s always interesting to face strikers with different profiles. It pushes us to challenge ourselves and push our limits so we’re even more ready for match day.
The contributions of Kevin Mirallas
There’s clearly a good understanding between him and Balo. Kevin communicates very easily with everyone in the squad, especially the forwards but also with all the players. He has this ability to create good relationships and a positive atmosphere within the team. We work with high standards and focus, but always in a positive frame of mind and with a pleasant atmosphere.
Regarding the team’s mindset
You can feel that the team has set itself certain objectives. Everyone is moving in the same direction, so we work together in all phases of the game, whether attacking or defending. And everyone has a role to play, whether they’re starters, substitutes, or even the players who work in training. Everyone contributes to the collective performance. You can feel that there’s a real positive dynamic, even though we haven’t forgotten the difficult period we went through previously..
𝑳𝒂 𝒋𝒐𝒊𝒆 𝒅𝒖 𝒗𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒆 🙂↕️#PSGASM | 1️⃣-3️⃣ pic.twitter.com/OGPP9nLuhc
— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) March 6, 2026
On the team’s solid defensive performances
First, we must highlight the work of the entire team. The forwards and midfielders put in a lot of defensive effort, which leaves us with less space to cover at the back. Keeping clean sheets and conceding few goals is always the result of collective work. Among the defenders, we’ve also developed a good understanding among myself, Wout (Faes) and Denis (Zakaria). Communication is good, our covering is working well, and we’re able to slide forward together to defend without overextending ourselves. All of this brings more stability to the team.
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐨 𝐊𝐞𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐫 💥#PSGASM | 1️⃣-3️⃣ pic.twitter.com/2FXCwouUjU
— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) March 9, 2026
Regarding Denis Zakaria’s role
Zak’ is very important to the team. He’s the captain and he’s always done a tremendous amount of defensive work, even when he played in midfield. He has a lot of qualities in that area, and his positioning in the back three helps us enormously. But beyond that, the defensive mindset concerns the whole team. We all want to defend together, win our duels, cover for each other, and make the team as compact as possible, and that’s what makes the difference today.
