Ligue 1: Nantes-OM, PSG-Lorient, Nice-Lens, OL

Pierre Sage, at a press conference, on his outburst after Lens’ draw against Brest: “The players really felt targeted, I opened up to them and to the whole group. I am going to compare this to a conflict situation in a family. It often happens, at the moment when the inheritance needs to be divided, there are a lot of conflicts in families, and at that moment we really see the level of love. Just because there is a conflict in a system does not mean that it is necessarily shaken. On the contrary, it must find its resource from within. When the patriarch goes off track, as was the case, I really went very strong, I also have to show the players and the group that I love them a lot and that we still have a lot of things to defend.”

“I could have played on the timeline by saying that the players don’t have time and no choice, there are so many beautiful goals to achieve. But they are such good guys that I couldn’t leave it unsaid. So I allowed myself to give them my position on the general situation, I also allowed myself to give them my individual position on the criticisms I had made to them. Just because we scold someone or call someone out doesn’t mean we don’t love them. There is always a tomorrow for things, and there are beautiful tomorrows to live together.”

“It’s a period. In Lille, for me, there were things missing, and in Brest, there were inevitably many things missing. Sometimes, my role is to give out candies. Sometimes, it’s also to scold. And scolding can be strong, can be awkward, I admit. I remain a human being, whole, honest, and transparent. Sometimes it’s very good, sometimes it’s very bad. I also know how to recognize when it’s very bad. And this time, it was very very bad.”

“If I have the same analysis of the first half after reviewing the match? Worse. It reinforced my question of ‘how can we be losing 3-0’. Even if the match we played was not at the top level, the score was so far from the difference between the two teams at that moment that maybe that’s what plunged me into this black anger. Despite everything, in the second half, we realize that when we took control, with a little more defensive efficiency in transitions and offensive balance and finishing, we were able to equalize. We could have even won.”

“Some players took it badly, and that’s normal. But I always make a distinction between the player and the man. Even when I strongly criticize the player, I always have a lot of respect for the man. Because in daily life, if I didn’t have the opportunity to work with some of them, they would have understood it a long time ago. On the contrary, they may have discovered a side of me that goes beyond the image of the ideal son-in-law and youth educator. When competition leads us to be at maximum demand, it is possible that from time to time, I lose my temper. And that I am capable of saying that it was necessary but also that I made mistakes to ensure that the boat continues to move forward smoothly on its trajectory. I don’t feel like the ship is rocking. Quite the opposite.”

“Behind all of this, there is above all a frank, sincere discussion. The important thing is to say things. Sometimes it hurts a lot, but it also brings the possibility of saying other necessary things that were perhaps a bit deeper.”