Antoine Kombouaré, still undefeated since his appointment, expressed his joy after his team’s success against Metz, which secured their maintenance in the league. “I am a fulfilled coach,” he said after Paris FC’s victory over Metz (3-1) on Sunday, securing their place in Ligue 1 and bringing Metz closer to relegation. The capital club will be tenth with 38 points after this 30th matchday and cannot be surpassed by Auxerre (16th, 25 points), who are in the relegation play-off position.
“The club’s objective has been achieved, but it is not mine,” Antoine Kombouaré stated after the match. “I have higher ambitions. Let’s aim for the fourteenth or thirteenth place. Congratulations to the players, I am truly a fulfilled coach today.” He continued, “The victory was not easy. We were pushed, it was a tight game. But luck was on our side.”
Appointed on February 22 with the goal of securing Paris FC’s position in the top flight after their promotion last season, Kombouaré has shown that he is the right man for the job, winning four out of seven games, with three draws.
The situation at FC Metz is starkly different, with coach Benoît Tavenot equalling the record of 23 consecutive losses set by Faruk Hadzibegic at Arles-Avignon in 2010-11. Arriving on January 20 to save Metz from relegation, Tavenot is on the brink of failure as the team is in last place (15 points), ten points behind Auxerre.
“We had a Metz without energy,” Tavenot commented. “We made efforts but couldn’t cope. A very average game. It was very tough for us. The players tried their best, but it was too difficult at the moment.” He concluded, “Now I want us to stand firm. We need to finish this tough season as cleanly as possible.”
