Which PSG against Dortmund? That's the whole question. And on the answer will depend the outcome of this round of 16 return to the Champions League, at least in large part, without offending Borussia and its qualities. Clearly, will we see PSG engulfed in its doubts and petrified by its fears this Wednesday? The same PSG who was "afraid of making mistakes" at the Westfalenstadion, according to the confession of Thomas Tuchel. This same PSG who had slipped in Barcelona in 2017 and against Manchester United last year, or who had never managed to let go of the horses against Real Madrid in 2018. In any case, we will not have to count on the atmosphere of a Park of Princes in fusion to push the Red and Blue, behind closed doors obliges… One more episode for Paris, in addition to the uncertainty which hangs over the participation of Kylian Mbappé, sick. "Self-confidence is 100% of the actions we take," says Denis Troch.
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And the former assistant of Artur Jorge during the title of champion 1994 on the Parisian bench is well placed to express himself on the subject, he who gave up his coaching career in 2009 to embark on mental coaching. In fact, the 60-year-old former goalkeeper is now an expert in potential optimization at HPC Paris. "I do not sell the mind, he says, he who works as much with high-level athletes as Mr. or Mrs. Everyone. The mind, we all have it. We do not necessarily know how to use it. (…) We can all be attacked by stress, challenges, injuries, pain which, in addition to preventing us from giving the maximum of what we are able to do, creates regrets which are added to this interference ... It's the snake biting its tail. How can we get out of this vicious circle? “With the simplest possible tools: the theory of common sense. (…) Associate the mind with each action, technical, physical, tactical, strategic… This is what, on a daily basis, on micro-actions, micro-situations, that we will set up, train the mind, do it grow, build muscle. "
Evacuate trauma
This is exactly what Parisians need, even if Thomas Tuchel wants to be confident. The German coach did not imagine any specific mental preparation for this great European meeting. "Now is the time to have confidence. We lost a game, it's true, but we only lost 2-1, "he said. A match in which we had seen timid Parisians, far from their best level. The lack of rhythm of some, the fatigue of others and the context of the Signal Iduna Park may explain, in part, this underperformance. But the mental aspect is obviously important. Primordial. Essential.
"It is necessary to put ourselves in a porous bubble, where we must refocus on us while being attentive to what is happening outside"
Denis Troch"With my outside eye, I would rather say that it is a good result," confirms Troch, who puts forward the idea of not spending too much "energy" for a simple round of 16. "This is the big difficulty: there are still six games left until the final," he says. It is necessary to put ourselves in a porous bubble, where we must refocus on us while being attentive to what is happening outside, that is to say the public, leaders, the media , but also the result. You can say you want to win the C1 before the quarterfinals, but you're dispersed. I'm not saying that's what they do. I even want to think that they are grouped, very reliable. It would be better if this continued in this sense. Because, otherwise, "gangrene goes very quickly".
For Troch, however, it is impossible to close in on oneself. "Otherwise, you think you are the best and you are good enough with others. These external attacks are legitimate, normal, logical, but you must protect yourself. Having fears or doubts before is good. But during the match, it is not possible. "
"It is not usurped to think that this team has the means to go to the end"
Denis TrochIt remains to evacuate the traumas of the past, the memory of the humiliations of these last years in eighths. Leonardo seems rather adept at the technique of the ostrich by blasting the "negativity" of the media. "You could say it's also our fault," says Tuchel. "I would not speak of trauma, but it takes an awareness, analyzes meanwhile Denis Troch. Realize that the Champions League does not belong only to others. Also say that they know how to win games, score goals, reverse situations, pass the eighths, beat big teams. Passing the eighths has happened many times at PSG, and they can afford it. It is not usurped to think that this team has the means to go to the end. "
Even if the club in the capital does not have this experience written into its DNA, as may be the case at Real Madrid, for example. Obviously, several players from the Parisian workforce have already raised the Cup with big ears, such as Keylor Navas, triple winner in C1 with Casa Blanca. "But there are other levers to achieve something extraordinary, like the French team champion of the world in 1998. It is necessary that everyone speaks a common language, shares a desire to do things to tend towards something magical, no pun intended with the club's slogan, Paris is magic (smile). It will be necessary to overthrow Borussia Dortmund and reach the quarter-finals.
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