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Press conference of TFC
14/08/07 - 15:56 // TFC-Liverpool
Extracts of the press conference of TFC, with Elie Baup and Nicolas Dieuze…
Q: Elie, after the draw you talked about a pilgrimage to Lourdes. Are you still in the same spirit ? And how was the trip ?
EB: Well we went to Lourdes yesterday afternoon and even some supporters brought us some holy water this morning after the training. Tomorrow we will spill the water on our heads. Nothing has changed there
Q: After the win against Lyon do have more reasons to believe ?
EB: The Lyon game really started our season as we did not do a good preseason. The first game against Valenciennes did not show us as a team which ended the season the way it did last season. So our season really started against Lyon as far as the team spirit and collevtive values are concerned. That is the most important for tomorrow and moreover for the rest of the season. Our main concern is to do well in Ligue 1, do well means finish in the Top 10, if we finsh tenth it will be a good season for us. So our concern is for the game vs Strasbourg on Saturday. Of course the gme vs Liverpool is the one everyone wants to talk about. This game is a reward for last season but it is a huge challenge. We can show that Toulouse can also be a football town and that a near future we can present with the best French teams.
Q: Benitez said that Toulouse was a rugby town, is it insulting or not ?
EB: No no it isn’t as he is a Spaniard. It is our fifth season in Ligue 1, there is a huge football history here, the region is a football region with loads of amateur clubs, young players. The region counts more registered football players than the number of registered rugb players in the whole country. But there never was a leading team in Toulouse or Midi Pyrenees, it will come with time I hope soon. Toulouse is the fourth town in France, with good infrastructure, a fantastic stadium, the working conditions are optimal. We have to show on the pitch our will to go forward. We need to be amongst the top teams in France regularly. That Mr Benitez does not know these facts is normal but I am not sure that he made this statement. Today there was a person from Liverpool supervising our training session, who supervised all our first team and reserves games, Mr Benitez knows our team and environment. He knows our players even our U18. Laurent Viaud is part of Liverpool staff, he played in France and works with Mr Benitez, so I doubt tht he made this statement.
Q: With Ilunga’s suspension, will ou modify your team ?
EB: We do not have big names, Liverpool has big names and a strong organisation. If a player is missing, Torres, Crouch, Voronine they can always replace them with big names. We are a team, there will be 11 players on the pitch, if one players does well, it influence the other 10. The team is the STAR and this what makes the strength of our team, even though all our players are really talented.
Q: You said that your main concern was Strasbourg on Saturday ? What is then your approach to the Liverpool game? What are your expectations?
EB: Well as usual, I go on the pitch to win so we will try our best with the strengths we have. But again the most important for the evolution of the club is the Ligue 1 season. But we will fight and we will do everything to make the impossible become reality. None of the media specialistsor journalist has given more than 10% for us to qualify. Liverpool is only team with something to lose here.
Q: Since the draw, everybody talks about the game against Napoli in UEFA Cup in 1986 does it annoy you ?
EB: Not at all, Napoli was a great team with a football god called Maradona. There was only a handful of such players, Pele, Maradona, Platini and Zidane. But as long as football exists pople will talk about Maradona and Toulouse had the chance to welcome such a player for an official game at “Le Stadium”.The scenario was incredible, Maradona hits the post, Bergeroo stops a penalty kick and Toulouse qualified for the next round so it became legendary. Even the kids who were not born then know about this game.
Q: So do you hope there will be a Liverpool legend this time ?
EB: Football has changed, Liverpool is not a one player team, the strength is the team itself with great names, a possibility to play with two different teams, a great structure and an ability to play great games. A team that win the CL in 2005 and finalist last year. They recruited a lot in order to win the League, they build a team for that. The objective for Liverpool is always to reach the semis in the CL, the 3rd qualifying round should be a piece of cake for them, which is normal for a team like Liverpool.
Q: Will the hot weather play a role in tomorrow’s game ? (30°) as Liverpool is not use to such conditions.
EB: Well there are some Spanish players in Liverpool, so they know that type of weather. I hope the temperature will raise as now it is only a spring weather.
Q: Nicolas Dieuze what does this challenge represents for the players?
ND: Well it is a reward for last season. We will try to do our best vs Liverpool and do everything to win. We did a good game vs Lyon we showed that we were a strong team and annoyed them, if we can do the same vs Liverpool it will a step towards a qualification.
Q: Is it better to have an outsider status ?
ND: Well yes. The pressure is on Liverpool. After the draw everybody sees us in the UEFA Cup. So anything that comes now is bonus. We are really motivated and eager to win. We are indeed a rugby town and we share the same values, fighting spirit, stability and if we can show these values on the pitch we can compete with any team.
Q: Is it a risk to be more a spectator than a player during such a game?
ND: well we need to concentrate on our game and I really think that we can compete with Liverpool
