"It was absolutely necessary that we win this match" it is with these words that we can appreciate the importance of this derby for Patrice Lair, who had to prevail to continue to keep pace with Lyon in the title race. The reaction of the coach, on this poster, but also on the international tournaments that await most of these players and his vision of the team of France.

Summary of the match: D1F: Paris nearly shared the points with Juvisy

A complicated first half, you unlock the situation in the second half, it was tough as opponent Juvisy?
Yes it was necessary to make changes, make a change in the game system, because we started on a 4-3-3 but good after I returned to the diamond a little bit, because we have more used to play like this. With Formiga who struggled to be in this format there and in the second half, I brought in the young, Geyoro and Katoto. I waited a bit even if I wanted at one point to unlock the situation to make Ashley Larence really higher up the hall to be more impactful. No, I did not need to do it because we found the solution on a set kick, with Irene [goal of the head] and Marie-Antoinette scored the second goal. Where I'm a little disappointed, it's on the goal, we took because we wanted to immediately fold this match score the third goal when we had to be patient. Try to keep the ball a little longer, you had to get them out because they had to attack to try to get back to the mark. We took this goal that could have caused us problems, because Juvisy remains a team that is difficult to maneuver here [in Bondoufle]. Lyon also had problems (1-0 win), there are quality girls like Thiney, who scored on the score reduction. No it's a good team, it was a physical match, committed, but that will serve us. I think (laughs) that there will still be a good match in 15 days in the Coupe de France.

Is not this a turning point in the season this match against Juvisy, with the gap that has widened on your pursuers? You may already be in your head, a bit European, with the Champions League confrontations?
Yes we are European because we will get our points, it will be eight points against Montpellier and we are neck and neck with Lyon. Because I am always optimistic. I absolutely want there to be a big game at OL Park in a while for the Women's Football and I believe strongly and good after the best win on this match. But we already the evolution compared to the month of July, when we took over the group, because there was a lot of departures and today to make a really great advance on the European place is already good and then it will free us a little bit in the heads on the Coupe de France in 15 days. Naturally the matches against Bayern Munich that will happen soon.

"We know very well that we are on a difficult season"

Satisfaction for Katoto who scored the second goal for Paris, but she was also injured again?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, she got badly behind her thigh. Well it's a bad time to go for it but hey it's youth, no I'm not worried, it's a good player she will come back, well she will be a little on the side. The state of mind is there. Grace made a very good entry but that I knew it, I also preserved it a bit because Amine Henry will have to leave, and we will have to compensate the midfield, find other solutions, there girls like Diallo, Morroni who did not play tonight, and others who are also trained this morning in Bougival. There are young people, who have already proven qualities in the first part of the season so I will use them later when they are ready and we will hang on. We know very well that we are on a difficult season but for the moment with our energy, it's a great victory [against Juvisy]. I like these victories there. Because we had to go to the very end and it's so much better to win a match like that than winning 10-0 [against Tours in the Coupe de France] like last Sunday where there's nothing to shoot.

Here we progress, we pass a course, and the players who arrive, will be in the right direction. Formiga it will come, it's normal eh it's not easy to locate and it's the same for Natasa. No no the state of mind is there, the girls are happy. This morning I put a little pressure to them anyway, I told them that we absolutely had to win this match, it will not be easy this derby, must be sheltered for after being more durable. It was important, today there has been I still think a great advance on the championship of France and there are two teams who are well ahead. Olympique Lyonnais is not at the French level they are in front of it is global level, we are already good here.

"I'm happy when I see them go in selection"

There you will have players who will go to international tournaments, like the She Belives Cup.
Well that's good, it's good, I tell you they will all go practically. I'm happy when I see them go into the selection is that it has interesting players in several selections and French women's football must he advance on it. Me it does not bother me, I told them to chat I hope you all play and come back tired because I'm waiting for one thing is to have that in the national teams because that it is a hallmark of the team where we are. I knew this in Lyon, I hope to know him also in Paris.

"must have self-confidence, mental strength to win the games"

We know that last year the She Believes Cup to talk about it, it was difficult for the Blue, they scored no goal. Are you on your side, I do not know if you followed him, but you have an explanation on that? It's not the media pressure?
The France team, well, it's a mental problem. It's in the head, the day we understand that we must sublimate some games, have this strength that is missing.
No no I do not think so because these girls for the most part they play in big clubs, they were European Champions, in the clubs and I think that they are still able this summer to be European Champions in selection.
I say it frankly since 2010, I do not stop saying it all the time, we have the best teams. It blocks because we have to understand that we have a quality workforce, quality players and the day-I need to have confidence in myself, a mental strength to win the games. I always make the comparison with the year when I arrived in Lyon. We always said Potsdam, the Germans, they are impregnable, have to stop a little bit.

"as early as July I told them we were going to beat Lyon"

I arrived this summer in Paris, as early as the month of July I told them that we would beat Lyon. He took me for a madman. We beat Lyon. Because even if we have a team that is always good or even weaker, at some point we have an inner strength that will sublimate and be present on the day. The France team is that. That the day they are in the quarterfinals or semi-finals, that they say "today we will pass, we will win" and that the feet do not tremble. Because we have the technical and tactical qualities, now it's mental strength.

And even for Paris, according to FIFPro, you have the second best team in the world, with the greatest number of players. Is it also a satisfaction for you to have players who are world-wide?
It's good, it's good but hey that's the work of Paris for several years. I'm here only seven months. I'm not there for much, I'm here to help, with my ideas, my madness, I'm here to win, I want success that's all. See the joy of the girls in the locker room, it's the best moments. But congratulations to Juvisy, who did a very good game, it's a good team that missed the first part [of the season] because it is progressing right behind us.

Photo: Nelson Fatagraf