Sébastien Pocognoli: "Very proud of my players—united and inspiring!"

Just as they had a month ago against Lens (2-3) , the players of AS Monaco did well to overcome Olympique Lyonnais in the second half, thanks to goals from Maghnes Akliouche and Folarin Balogun (1-2), he was understandably satisfied and very proud of his team. Sébastien Pocognoli appeared at a press conference following this latest victory, which brings them back to within just one point of the Rhone-based side. 🎙️ If I look at that final sequence—where we had four players blocking shots inside the box—it perfectly encapsulates what we’ve been doing over these past few weeks.

It makes me extremely proud; coming to Lyon with the intent to press high, and then managing that second half as effectively as we did—that is truly remarkable on the part of the players! Good evening, Coach. What are your main takeaways following this fine victory?

The three points, our excellent run of form, the fact that we continue to apply pressure in the standings, and—above all—having witnessed a team that remained united throughout the entire 98 minutes of the match and played with tactical intelligence! If I look at that final sequence—where we had four players blocking shots inside the box—it perfectly encapsulates what we’ve been doing over these past few weeks. It makes me extremely proud; coming to Lyon with the intent to press high, and then managing that second half as effectively as we did—that is truly remarkable on the part of the players!

So, I am very proud of them today—especially since I watched the end of the match on TV, and I found them to be incredibly united and truly inspiring. It was a beautiful thing to watch. Did you feel that Lyon were gaining the upper hand in the first half?