Ibrahim Salah: "The team must only be attracted by victory

You've been with SRFC for a year now, how do you see your progress at the club?
My arrival in Rennes wasn't easy. I came from Brussels, a city I knew very well and where I lived with my family, so it took me a while to get used to Brittany. When we won the CAN U23 with Morocco, something clicked. I came back with ambition and a desire to work harder. I've also been able to improve my lifestyle. I'm feeling really good at Rennes at the moment. The fact that I was able to integrate and establish new habits has had a very positive impact on the way I play.

How are you feeling at the moment?
The coach trusts me, I feel it, and that has a positive impact on me. I do a lot of work in the gym and on the pitch. Making progress on my shortcomings and doing as many extras as possible will help me move forward. Only hard work pays off.

« My arrival in Ligue 1 was an opportunity to progress »

Ligue 1 is a league you've just discovered. What differences do you notice compared to Belgium?
I quickly realised the difference. Belgium has a good local league with young talent. It's a physical league with good football, but it's nothing like Ligue 1. There's a huge gap. When I arrived in France, I was quite optimistic. I said to myself that this was a great opportunity for me to progress and improve. Playing in a stadium like Roazhon Park with this atmosphere means a lot to me.

You're proving yourself to be a decisive player on a regular basis.
That's true. I anticipate a lot. I imagine myself in the place of the players and the goalkeeper and I try to take advantage of opportunities. It's also linked to everything I do. If I know I'm a substitute, I train like a regular. If I only have five, ten or fifteen minutes to show myself, I give it my all. My aim is to be of service to the team, to score goals and get goals scored. I try to adopt a winning style.

Is the Moroccan national team an important objective for you?
I'm focused on SRFC, and the national team must be the next logical step. Morocco is my country, the country of my ancestors. I'm proud to wear the jersey, it means a lot to me. I was aiming for the African Cup of Nations, but that didn't happen, so I'm doing everything I can to make the squad for the Olympic Games.

How do you position yourself in the team?
When players like Steve Mandanda or Benjamin Bourigeaud talk, I listen. Anyone who doesn't listen has understood nothing about life, and these are great opportunities to progress and move forward.

« I'm not afraid of the competition »

Julien Stéphan recently spoke of healthy competition.
Competition keeps me going, it excites me. It keeps us going, shows us when we can do better. In any case, I'm not afraid. It's part of football, otherwise we'd be playing tennis or an individual sport. I have the feeling that we're not a group of envious people; we make each other progress. The team should only be interested in winning.

Lorient are coming up next, how do you see the game?
We have to be very serious about winning and continuing our climb up the table. Whether it's Lorient or another team, we're all about winning. To quote the coach on the video, we're ogres and we have to eat everything.

What does it mean to you to play for Stade Rennais F.C.?
In sporting terms, I feel confident, we're on a good run and we need to keep going. Stade Rennais F.C. is a big club with big ambitions. I feel totally committed to this project.