"A pass", the decisive, the one that counts. In this meeting of the Coupe de France between Metz and Yzeure, if you have to remember a name is that of Meryll Wenger, the former blue has been able to bring a real weight in the game. The one who changed the court of the match, being at the origin of the decisive pass for the goal of Léa Khelifi (76 '). It's only 15 years old that she has been riding a D1 Feminine football pitch with the MHSC. Uncommon, enough to intrigue us. Interview.

=> The summary of the match - Coupe de France (16th): Metz has escaped from Yzeure.

We were present at Evry, compared to your 32nd finals, how did you experience these 16th?
Well I think we had a good game and for the team, since we are in trouble in the championship, it allowed us to trust ourselves and try things. That's what we did throughout the match.

"It was complicated to get back into it."

It was a tough team in front anyway?
Yes, yes, that's what. After we took possession of the ball and it is not currently in the league, so it made us feel good. Compared to the match, we had a good quarter of an hour and when the coach got upset, we had to be good. But it had been three weeks since we had not played too, it was difficult to get back into it.

Today, you missed two players players, Morel and Gathrat, it penalized you in your tactical scheme, compared to Evry?
Well yes because they are regular holders, after that allowed girls who do not play too much to play. For us it was complicated because we do not necessarily play together so we had to adapt. But I think that overall we managed well and we were good, especially the second half. I think that overall everyone has had a good game, despite the absentees.

We talked about it with the coach, David Fanzel. You have not played for three weeks, it is something that hurts you anyway, in the creation of your automatisms and the cohesion of the group we will say?
Well yes because three weeks without playing, while everyone plays, it's complicated but here we tried to make friendly matches or oppositions but it's not the same. There we see it, it was difficult to put in it, knowing that it was a greasy ground, so I hope that there will be no more deferred matches (laughs). The problem is that now we are going to chain games, which will be in the week, and I think it will be physically hard, but I hope it will do it anyway.

"we have to do more things on the field as we know how to do in practice"

Your next match is against Albi, how do you apprehend him?
Well, I really like it because I think we saw that we could do things. We lost foolishly in the 90th, now I think we have to try more things on the field as we do in training and I think we can try to save ourselves ( of the relegation zone). At least go get the win in Albi, because I think we have the ability to do it.

Faced with Evry, we saw that you played more in the middle of the field, there we see that you were evolving more in leap with Léa Khelifi. Is this a position that suits you better?
Well, I'm over 9 or 10, but afterwards at Evry, what's complicated is that since they were playing in the back five, we had to come for the balloons and there, as it had been three weeks since I had played I was a little higher, I had less rhythm all that. There was also a lot of space between the lines in this game and it was a big lot especially. I could not run everywhere so I tried to adapt.

You are the instigator of the goal for Léa Khelifi, it made you happy, it is a good satisfaction for you?
Yes, it's a pleasure to make a pass, and then she scores right after. After sure I could also score the penalty on my side but hey, too bad is the law of football. I wanted to try to shoot in the middle, it did not work, too bad, it's like that. Usually I do not shoot but I wanted to try, I think I would not do it next time that's all. Or else I would retry but I would put more pep in the ball.

"I could have play time in D2 and it allowed me to regain self-confidence"

So you come from Montpellier, how was the transition for you?
I knew the director of Metz, Angélique Roujas and as in Montpellier I had not much time and I was not playing at my post, the club gave me the opportunity to leave. What I did because in Metz I could have play time in D2 and it allowed me to regain confidence in myself, to play my job. By cons it is sure that after the climate is complicated for me (smile). There, the second season is complicated, especially since it's a harder winter this year. If not with the club, the girls, the life there, everything is going very well, I regret nothing. It's an experience, I'm young and I would not regret making that choice.

I also saw that you made your first appearance in D1 at 15 years, it was a special moment for you?
Yes it was in Saint-Brieuc (against Guingamp, former Stade Briochin at the time in 2010). It was with Sarah M'Barek with Montpellier and I scored in that match I think. I was young but it was nice. But the D1 has really changed since. It is true that I was 15 years old and that I played sometimes against players of 30 years. After it was complicated at that moment, it was necessary not to skip the steps also to not grill. That's it, I went back slowly, it's pleasant and I hope to stay there we'll see.

"we have the ability to maintain ourselves"

How do you feel the second half of the season for Metz?
I think it's going to be complicated, but we have the ability to keep up. Now all the matches will be decisive and we will not have to make the mistakes we made in the first half of the season. But I think we can save ourselves and anyway that's what we are looking for and we have no choice if we do not want to go back down to D2.

Last question, I do not know if you saw the macho banners of these Lyon supporters at the stadium, "the men at the stadium, the women in the kitchen". What does it make you as a player to see this kind of macho act?
Well anyway, there will always be some. The sport is suitable for everyone, even if we do not have the same physical, athletic ... it is a sport that is open to everyone, who starts to evolve enormously, more and more and that men come to accept and appreciate gently. But I think it will be complicated, there will always be macho. Any sport can be practiced by women, it is clear, there are those who win the World Cup, the Olympic Games, everyone has the capabilities (woman and man) to practice it, differently. As men also know how to cook too (laugh), the greatest chefs are men so everyone can do what he wants as passion.

Photo: Nelson Fatagraf