Touched on the back and absent from the very eventful first leg of the championship lost by the Parisians in September, Keylor Navas, the brilliant Costa Rican goalkeeper of PSG, displays great motivation before facing Marseille, this Wednesday, in Lens, for the Trophée des champions.
At a press conference after the last practice, he appeared relaxed but determined.
What type of match do you expect on Wednesday against Marseille?
And do you have a feeling of revenge?
KEYLOR NAVAS.
We are calm, positive, we have confidence, we have worked.
In the locker room, we don't talk about revenge, far from it.
We are talking about a final that is approaching and that we want to win and that is the most important thing for us now.
Were you surprised by the hardness of this championship encounter?
Will it be necessary to display the same state of mind to try to beat Marseille?
Things happened in this game.
They don't all have to do with football.
The team is ready to play.
We learn from our mistakes, so our state of mind is above all to try to win by playing good football and being superior to our opponent.
This is what we all want.
You have to look at what was done well but also what was done badly so as not to make the same mistakes.
Do you feel Neymar ready to start this meeting?
I believe Ney is still a very professional player.
He was injured but every time he tries to recover 100% to participate in every game because that's what he likes: playing.
We of course want him to be in the field.
But it's the technical staff who will decide.
I saw him work, he works very well.
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What has changed since the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino?
Each coach obviously has his own style.
Little by little, we adapt to what he wants, to his playing philosophy. He has a very orderly idea of the game, he seeks movement in the team and we are working towards this.
With your experience of three Champions Leagues won with Real, do you feel that your role will become more and more important?
I feel very happy and responsible too.
I always want to put my experience and my knowledge at the service of my teammates to try to help them.
I try to work with humility but it's true that I always want to win and I try to spread it to others.
There is a title at stake. I think it's important for all of us.
I hope that we will be able to add this title to our list of achievements.
It's going to be complicated, but it's something we really want to win.
The team wins more when you play.
Are you essential to PSG?
I believe that all the players in the group have this ability to come into play. When I have the chance to play, I try to give my best, not only on the pitch but also in the locker room.
It's a constant job, all week long, to be there, present to help the teammates.
And on a personal level, it's something that pleases me to know that I can improve myself every day.
You who were affected by the Covid in September, are you worried about the new increase in cases?
It is still a problem, it is a global concern.
The club works so that everything is done in the best sanitary conditions.
We always pay attention at home, in our life, in everything we do.
We are responsible and take care of ourselves so that the virus does not affect us.
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Negotiations are taking place to consider lower wages.
Would you be ready to make a financial effort to help the club?
As a player, we realize the situation linked to the pandemic.
We realized this during the first confinement since we had a salary reduction at that time.
But the competition was completely stopped.
For now, we do not know exactly what will happen, the competition is still ongoing.
Every day, we deserve our salary.
So far we haven't been asked for anything.
Physically, the group is,
i
s better than in December?
We had this absence of holidays after Final 8 and without a holiday we cannot prepare in the same way for the following season.
It was a bit difficult for us, mentally and physically.
These vacation days at the end of the year have done us the greatest good, going with the family, recharging our batteries.
It's good to come back with a fresher spirit and start this New Year in the best possible way.