Paris Saint-Germain began preparations for the 2021-22 season on July 5th. The capital club, excluding internationals who took part in the Euro and the Copa America, will play their first match of the season in a friendly against Le Mans.
Ahead of the friendly, manager Mauricio Pochettino spoke to PSG TV to discuss the upcoming matchup. One of the first questions that the club’s official channel asked the Argentine tactician is over the squad’s recovery following their return to training.
“We have not yet recovered all the players, of course; there are many who were with their national team and who have gone far in the competitions. There are also the latest recruits, who are gradually joining us. During this offseason, players come back with different fitness levels. The main goal of a first week of work is to get everyone back to the same level,” Pochettino said.
Next, the summer of 2021 has seen various international competitions such as the UEFA Euros and Copa America take place. Pochettino discussed how he plans to have his players recovered who were in these international competitions.
“Managing emotions after an international competition is an integral part of my job as a coach. But I’m sure the players who won will come back full of joy, with the will to keep the momentum going; the others will have turned the page and want to focus on new goals. With the desire to prepare well to start winning titles again,” Pochettino said.
One of the last questions that Pochettino answered regards what type of squad he expects to have for next season. There have been new players integrated into the team, and it doesn’t seem as though PSG plans to stop the squad’s improvement.
“We want to apply the same precepts as last season. We want to be an aggressive team in a good way, be dominant on the pitch, and play on the opposing side. We love the game and understand the game of our players; we work for the best possible understanding on the pitch, even beyond the system we use,” Pochettino said.
“We are clear in what we expect, on the mentality and on the principles of the game. And especially on the fact of wanting to win each match, which is a standard for a club like Paris Saint-Germain. This is our biggest challenge, to make sure that we do not differentiate the competitions, and to play each meeting with the same desire to win.”
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