Just after the 1-1 draw against Reims, coach David Fanzel of Metz reacted to our microphone.


The summary of the match Metz / Reims (1-1) => D2F (Metz / Reims 1-1): Of pride, the Messines equalize against the Remoises


Your reaction on this draw, I doubt that you must be a little frustrated?
Yes we are a bit frustrated but somewhere I think the draw on the whole game is not illogical because we came across a nice team from Reims. This is the best team we have met since the beginning of the season. It is a team that has come out well, which has used our physical weaknesses and especially our technical weakness. After we have the big opportunity at the beginning of the second half with the shot of Selen Altunkulak, the goalkeeper makes a great stop, if we are leading, I think we can go to the end and after a superb reaction of the girls despite the 1-0, despite the storm, despite the hail. They have not dropped and that's something positive and the other is that we let Reims always seven points and sometimes in a season in difficult times you have to know how to collect points. That's what we do so here is satisfied even considering the face of the match, this draw.


"They have the right to be a little tired, they have no right to let go"


Compared to last season when you were in D1, there may be more disparity in the level of the players. Did you notice it on your side?
(hesitates) Today yes, it's been two / three matches that we are really in trouble technically and especially today when at the beginning of the season, on the first seven or eight matches it was not seen. Today [this difficulty] we saw it a little bit. After I think there is Melissa Godart, it's been eight weeks since she did not play, Léa Khelifi, Celia Rigaud all these girls who left a little in France team (young) have a hard time coming back physically . They pay a little these 10 days in the French team for the qualifying round (at Euro 2018). We can not blame them, they are human, they have the right to be a little tired, they have no right to let go, that's what I want to remember today.


Compared to this match, I saw that your players were swinging the game a lot. Is it fear or?
No it's not me who asked them that (smile). Yes I think there was also a little fear and I think we did not play enough, because every time we managed to play, we put Reims in trouble, even if we created ourselves On 50 occasions, we put them in trouble as soon as we came out cleanly, that's not what girls were asked. We have girls who are a little physically hard so we hide a little more and no no it's not what I ask [to swing the ball] (laughs frustrated) especially not.


Yes because there were a lot of balloons in the air (answer yes) but I also noticed something else. Were these instructions you asked your players to change posters and move as frequently?
By cons, yes I like that we are not static and it is true that the fact of moving a lot, to change position, it bothers the opposing teams. This is one of our strengths. Now our technical correctness could not highlight these movements.


Okay, so I wanted to go back to Maureen Bigot, who did a lot of these moves, I think she did a good game, you pulled out in the second half because there was an injury ( she violently shocked herself against a player at the end of the first period)?
No it is a tactical choice because it is not too much in this register, number 6. I put a system in place and it was a little lost and Maureen Bigot is much better than that, especially technically and today I made it play precisely because it has a little freshness and I hoped that it keeps a little more the ball and especially uses it better offensively.
So I brought Melissa Godart back to her place, because tactically to bring some experience, keep the ball and win duels and that's what was done. Just like Selen Altunkulak who brought his impact, his base and that's what I want to remember. Sometimes I am a coach (smile) and when things are not going, I have to make decisions.


Okay. How do you apprehend then this season? Does it feel like there is a little less competition than in Group B, or am I mistaken?
Yeah, after that I always say that our biggest opponent is going to be us because of what we saw ... Now we have seen that we have a team from Reims, who can come to bother us, to us to be seriously, it's up to us to continue working, and we have to say that we have not arrived yet because there are still a lot of matches, there are still thirteen so it's much. The season is going to be long, the winter is getting closer, it is necessary quickly that one reaches the truce because I have a number of people a bit short in the quantity level, so I have to come to the truce with a bit of 'advance, to quickly start at the beginning of the season and then especially take a little cool.