Jean-Pierre Caillot, 58, is a happy president. At the head of the only club on the planet remaining on two successes in a row on the PSG Qatar version, the president of the Stade de Reims does not refrain from dreaming of a first final at the Stade de France.
Reims is the only team in the world to remain on two consecutive successes against the PSG of the QSI era. Were you a happy president when the draw was announced?
JEAN-PIERRE CAILLOT. (Amused) Are we alone? I did not have this statistic, but I like it. On the other hand, I knew that we had a series in progress (Editor's note: 3-1 victory in May and 0-2 last September in Ligue 1) , I still have in mind our last two victories. As for the draw, I was especially happy that the match was played in Reims. Whatever happens, this meeting will have the flavor of a final for us, there will be very few Parisians, the stadium will be 100% committed to our cause.
Do you believe in the theory of "never two without three"?
No. Given the number of people who repeat to me that Reims has already done so, I could listen to the vox populi and completely ignite myself. But I remain lucid, 90 minutes from the Stade de France, PSG will land with all the cavalry and I fear that it is well motivated.
Would you prefer to welcome PSG without its stars?
If I had needed to sell tickets, I would have campaigned for Paris to come in full force. But since we sold everything in just three days, I wouldn't be against a small team (laughs) .
Reims is the most airtight defense in Ligue 1, Paris the most effective attack. Who should fear the other the most?
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The goal is to score one more goal than your opponent, when you have the best attack, you start with an advantage.
Reims, which has not lost at home to Paris since 2013, is therefore not a favorite?
(He laughs) I haven't had an aperitif yet, you have no chance of making me say bullshit (sic) . If we have not lost to Paris for so long, it may also be because we made a short stint in Ligue 2 (Editor's note: from 2016 to 2018) .
To the dismay of Thomas Tuchel, Paris will still play at 9 p.m. Do you understand its output on the fatigue of its players linked to late schedules?
Me, I remain concrete: the matches at 9 pm allow to store a maximum of notoriety, are a plus in the distribution of TV rights ... It's a bit the price of glory! If Reims were to play at 9 p.m., believe me, I would live with it. Of course, this is not the top in terms of recovery. But we are dealing with top athletes. When we make the Champions League, we are used to this type of schedule and travel. But I admit that yesterday, I ran into people telling me that they would not come to the match because the children had school the next day.
After being eliminated last year in the Coupe de France after a disputed penalty, are you happy that there is VAR in the Coupe de la Ligue?
But it's not just last year. Just two weeks ago, we were eliminated in Monaco in 32nd (2-1) after their attacker scored following a two-handed control. And in Amiens, in the championship, the VAR did not see two penalties. Despite everything, I am for! Even if the system is not foolproof, it brings a plus. The problem is that it is not used in the same way according to the referees and the matches. But the stakes are such today that all means to reduce frustrations and errors are welcome.
What do you think of homophobic songs in stadiums?
Fortunately, all this is back to normal. I don't condone insults, but it's always difficult to control small groups when you have 20,000 people at the stadium. Stopping games for that offered a platform and gave importance to those who did. It was a good decision to stop interrupting the games.
Another problem is smoke. Can they invite themselves to Wednesday's game?
I do not imagine it at all. The Stade de Reims is the club which receives the least fines from the LFP. We talk a lot with our supporters. It is certainly easier when there are fewer. We do our best to help them, in return, they do not put the club in trouble. You can support your team without deploying any banner or lighting dangerous things.
Paris won the first League Cup in 1995. Must it win this last edition to complete the circle?
It would be a beautiful symbol! But I do not forget that the Stade de Reims won one of the editions of the old version of the event 25 or 30 years ago (note: the 1991 Summer Cup) . So it would suit me well that PSG does not want its final (laughs) .
Will you regret this League Cup?
I am a democrat, I bow to the decision of the majority. But I am disappointed that the League Cup stops. It is said that the big clubs do not want it. But strangely, we still find our three representatives in the Champions League in the last four.
