At 54, Vincent Guérin has put on his crampons. The 1996 Cup Winner, who was nominated for the Ballon d'Or in 1995, is now assistant coach to Stéphane Roche, in the under-19 group at PSG.
His team moved to Lyon in the eighth finals of the Gambardella Cup (14 hours) this Saturday in a clash between the two most prestigious training centers in France.
The rivalry between PSG and Lyon, very present among the pros, is it felt among young people before a Gambardella match?
VINCENT GUÉRIN . The requirements are somewhat the same on both sides, but we do not mix the two sectors. There is the first team on one side and training on the other. Gambardella is a benchmark competition, even if PSG has not been successful in recent years ( Editor's note: only one victory in 1991 ). This dearth is not simple, there is a strong pressure. In this age group, the emotional factor is very important and more complicated to manage. PSG was often released in the first rounds on penalties by teams of lower caliber, which illustrates this problem of pressure management. This year, we are no longer there.
Does eliminating from the group stage in Youth League reinforce this pressure?
These are two very different competitions that cannot be combined. After our victory at Galatasaray, we were in a good position for 2nd place, but four of our players left for the Under-17 World Cup and that was detrimental to us. In Gambardella, against Lens, we had Kouassi, Kalimuendo, Pembélé and Aouchiche with us. It’s not the same team when they’re there.
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Is Tanguy Kouassi, who will not be with you for this meeting, the leader of this generation?
Yes, he is the leader, because he is the one who is most in the spotlight. And again, he is 17 years old. If a player is to be highlighted, it is him, but we cannot omit those who participated in the Under-17 World Cup who all set foot in the training of pros to varying degrees . It's a good signal.
Are you trying to convince Kouassi and Aouchiche to sign their first professional contract in Paris?
No, it's not my role. I do not fit in there, I am not in the sporting direction, even if I rub shoulders with them from time to time. They are mostly with the pros. Leonardo and Angelo Castellazzi take care of that. We want to see them sign, it would be a good signal and for all players who leave very early, before 18, unfortunately, there is little success. It is better to set up, to take root a bit than to want to leave too early, too quickly.
How do you see your return to PSG as an assistant?
We know the terrain. The fact of having trained the reserve from 2005 to 2007 helped me a lot, with a super generation the first year, which was champion of France of less than 18 years. Twelve of these players have become pros (Chantôme, Mabiala, Mulumbu, Boli, Ngog, Sankharé…). I didn't know Stéphane Roche on a professional and human level, nor Régis Beunardeau, the other assistant. You have to get to know each other and find your way, but the terrain remains the terrain, the green square has not fundamentally changed.
How do you share roles?
Stéphane decides everything, he is the main coach. We try to work to put our ideas in place, help, collaborate. We put our skills at the service of the coach.
Isn't it frustrating, with your past and your notoriety?
That's how I knew it by signing. Then you have to get used to that tunic. What makes me happy is to find the ground. It's like everywhere, we don't always agree on everything. We also discuss, there is exchange and communication, this is the most important.
How do you use your past and your notoriety with young people?
Already, there is a generation gap. The players could be my children, they are very young. They don't really know me as a footballer, except by going to Wikipedia. Everyone is a bit aware of my past anyway. There is the field, the fun from time to time, where they see that I touched the ball a little, with both feet. Then it goes through dialogue. You have to find the right moments and the right measure. Do not put them in frustration, do not impose yourself as a teacher: I had a career, you know nothing, you are nothing at all . The player's past is mainly used in the simulation, to give keys and advice on a daily basis.
PSG has often been criticized by its elders for neglecting its past. Can you pass on the legacy of your period?
No, not really. I try to be in my primary mission with the category in which I evolve. We are talking about PSG, our golden generation, because we had the privilege of making the club's heyday, with five consecutive European Cup semi-finals ( Editor's note: from 1993 to 1997 ). Whatever the club, even if it was in another era, it's a shame not to use champions who have been top in this profession.
Your return is a good signal in this sense, right?
It is not for me to answer this question, others would be better placed to judge me. I hope it marks a will. But it's not just our generation, there are younger people who should be involved, choose profiles. It would be nice if there was a stronger identity.
Do you have links with the pros?
No, they are independent of us. There are gateways when Thomas Tuchel and his staff ask to have players at times. It is Stéphane Roche who transmits things, he directs the team, the responsibility falls to him.
What do you think of the blockages that PSG is experiencing in the Champions League?
I hope they will pass against Dortmund. There is one game left. You have to be positive. What is very interesting is to have scored a goal away. Despite the defeat (2-1), this does not put Paris in such a bad position. We ardently hope to find the conquering, ambitious PSG, which we have seen at other times, to overcome this pitfall. We are fully behind them, we want it to move forward.
How do you explain that the PSG is timorous? We’re talking a lot about fear right now…
I'm not inside the group, it's difficult for me to talk about this. I can talk about our generation. We had to go through experiences to get to the final. In particular the first year against Juventus (in 1993) where the UEFA Cup was stolen by arbitration. It is the strength of the big clubs. We were a bit young. To pass these caps, you must not ask questions. The big handicap is to ask questions because you are not yourself and you often miss it.
Do you have any advice for them?
It is difficult, they are quite large. We, we had gathered before an event like this, to say things to ourselves, to stand up, to show solidarity.
Would crossing this Champions League round allow PSG to pass a course?
Yes, after these are sequences, it is accumulated confidence. It does not have a price. This is called experience. It allows you to get over the following more quickly.
Should this team go at least as far as yours with the strength it has?
Yes of course.
As an individual, do you have other ambitions for the future?
I don't ask myself those kinds of questions. I take pleasure and I try to fulfill at best my mission as assistant of less than 19 years, and we will see, but I do not set myself either if challenges arise.
