“We are not changing the path that has been traced”: the first words of Jocelyn Prêcheur at the head of women’s PSG

2023-09-29 13:49:46

Under the gusts of the Loges camp, Jocelyn Prêcheur observes from a distance the studious warm-up of his players this Friday morning. A few hours after officially succeeding his father Gérard at the head of the team, the new PSG women’s coach, who was until now the first assistant, began to familiarize himself with his new duties, while a shock faced at Olympique Lyonnais awaits him from Sunday evening (9 p.m.) at the Parc des Princes. Previously, the 41-year-old technician had spoken about this new role, his pride in taking charge of this training and mentioned the points on which he wishes to emphasize to his players.

Tell us about the last few hours that have just passed and which led to your appointment as PSG coach…

JOCELYN PRECHEUR. There were two stages: the first was when we learned of my father’s decision to leave. It’s not easy because you’re at the start of the season, you’re finishing a preparation that went well and the machine was underway. After my father’s decision, there was a period of uncertainty regarding me. And what followed was a second strong decision from the club to continue with the staff, with me. There has been an emotional lift over the last two weeks. I feel a lot of satisfaction because it is a strong choice made by PSG. This highlights the work done last season. The club did not choose instability. I am very happy to find a coaching position again, this job that I love. I am very happy to continue working for this club which I also love.

What speech did you give to the players?

We continue. We cannot change the path that has been traced. What made us strong last year, the requirements that my father put in place will not change. Now, we must maintain this unity, this cohesion which we have lacked in the past. The timing may not be ideal, but on the other hand we play our rival, OL, from the start, it’s time to leave straight away. That doesn’t give us time to think about it. We move forward and focus on the deadlines. We keep the guideline, even if we can do things differently to help young players reach a new level.

“I want to honor his legacy”

Does succeeding your father add extra pressure to you?

The pressure is there. It’s something that goes with the job and it’s exacerbated when you’re at PSG. I have ambitions, but if we are at PSG, it’s because we want to win things. I was lucky to have a father who taught me his trade, but I consider it an opportunity. I always want to honor his legacy, what he taught me. While bringing my characteristics, my way of seeing things.

Can you explain to us what the Jocelyn Prêcheur paw consists of?

Compared to the current situation, I want to insist on cohesion, that the girls free themselves a little. We must evolve on the mental aspect, have a conquering spirit, bring this stability to the game. We have started to work on a second tactical option. In the medium term, we will try to improve our offensive efficiency which we may have lacked last year.

Starting your new experience against OL, is it a poisoned chalice?

There is no choice, we must avoid asking the question. On the other hand, we work for these matches, it’s great, we play at the Park. These are matches that we want to play and if we could play them every month, that wouldn’t bother me. It allows us to focus on the field and see where we are.

We have had the feeling, for several years, that PSG is failing in their mental approach when facing OL. Is this something you will work on?

I share this observation, it is something that we have started to work on. The mental aspect is truly a pillar of performance. This is a file that I took on head on because it interests me enormously. There are messages that I want to convey. It’s a job that requires a more individual approach so the club will certainly grow. This is a problem that we are integrating into the staff overhaul. I am convinced that some players will really need it.

Is Marie-Antoinette Katoto, who made her return to competition against Bordeaux, able to start a match?

We’ll see… She’s not fit to start a match against OL. I’m not going to tell you nonsense. Things are progressing well, we are rather ahead of the schedule which was put in place in July. I would like to salute his work. A more than symbolic step was taken in Bordeaux with his entry into play, we were all happy. I hope this will give him the impetus to continue. We are day to day. We had a little opposition internally and it went well. We will have a good discussion at the end of the session to see what strategy we adopt.

What does it mean to you to coach PSG?

I arrived in the Paris region at the age of 9, I played football in the Paris region, I cut my teeth here, so it’s my favorite club. I’m no longer in the stands, I see things in a different way but it’s a real satisfaction. I’m very honored, it makes you want to get up in the morning, get stoned. We want these three letters, PSG, to mean something. It’s a real motivation.