OM-Rennes: Coach's press conference

Roberto De Zerbi: ‘I thank the players’

The state of the squad

Valentin Rongier will not be available tomorrow. He played in Le Havre with an adductor problem. Tomorrow, I will field the best possible line-up based on Rennes' characteristics. They have had a difficult season with a change of coach. We are preparing as normal with the aim of finishing second and celebrating that.

Doubts about the end of the season

There are several things. The human quality of the players. They may have their limits, but no one has ever doubted their character. After Reims and Monaco, the players were the first to be sad. Some players came back, Højbjerg was injured between Lens and Monaco. And then there's the experience. We went to Rome. It was a moment to be united and close-knit, to bring back the smiles. We approached the final stretch with enthusiasm.

The players who have helped you develop

I'm very close to all the players. They've always supported me. They're good people. Being a player here is special. I'm grateful to the players. We've been open and honest with each other. They've given their all, and it's only right that the club helps them get to where we are.

The transfer window

Yes, but the problem isn't the coach, it's the players. First we have to finish second. That's our chance to compete in the Trophée des Champions. We want to finish well and then, starting on Sunday, we'll take stock and see where we are. It's been a long, difficult season. I want to stay here. Staying as long as Rudi Garcia is a great goal. We need to talk to the club about what went wrong. Qualifying for the Champions League is a starting point. It should be normal, we should qualify every year, but the other clubs aren't sleeping. We need to get organised and improve year on year.

Best moment / Worst moment

The best moment was the win in Lyon, the victory against Brest, Lyon at home, Le Havre... The worst moment... Not necessarily on the pitch, because in football you can win or lose. But after Reims, I felt under attack. Rumours of mutiny, of revolt in the dressing room. That's the most untrue thing I've ever heard in my life. Maybe it helped us in the end. I'm the oldest, I don't mind being the scapegoat.

Leonardo Balerdi

There's the president and the sporting director. They're the ones best placed to answer that. The aim is to get stronger. We weren't playing in Europe this season, so we had to achieve our objective, it was vital. After the season, we'll see how we can strengthen the team. Leo is a pillar of the squad.

The sporting project

It's normal to get together. Everyone says what they think. During these meetings, we talk about the past and the future, clearly and sincerely, with the good of OM in mind. Everything I've done, I've done for the good of the club. We could have done more, we lost some important games, the quality of play wasn't what I wanted. We had three or four good months from November to February, but over 10 months, I'm not satisfied. We could have done better against Auxerre in both games. I look at this year's average points, and no OM team in recent seasons has had that average. That's something important.

A team to fight for the title

PSG has made significant investments. We still have the ambition to fight, that will never change, but it won't change the investments in the transfer market. PSG is ahead, but we will always have the ambition to fight.

What you have learned

Yes, the management we put in place this season was tough. The satisfaction was even greater, it was worth it. Three Champions League qualifications in ten years is a significant achievement. I've learned a lot. You learn every year, especially when you're away from your own country and experience a different culture. You learn to manage players who have different habits and are under different pressures. There's a lot to deal with.

De Zerbi's style

I said that in terms of the quality of our play, we were too slow and too predictable. But we scored 66 goals, which is a lot. If we want to be perfect, there were some matches I didn't like. There are things to work on, we made choices, we played with three at the back then four, we protected Greenwood. There are things to review but it's fine as it is.

The Champions League final

I'll watch a film on Netflix.

Habib Beye

He worked well. This team switches positions at the back, plays well and presses hard. I congratulate him. Ligue 1 is no walk in the park. There are some very good coaches in Ligue 1. Genesio, the Lens coach, the Rennes coach... There are some good coaches here.

Ismaël Koné

He's a strong player who has unfortunately been unlucky. He had an ankle problem, but there's no doubt about his qualities. We'll see if he comes back, but he's a player for the club.