Julien Stéphan
Group update
« There's a bit of damage. Lorenz Assignon and Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal are suspended. Leo Østigård is out, but we hope he'll be back for Le Havre. Henrik Meister and Christopher Wooh are very doubtful. Christopher is concussion-free, which gives us some hope. He's been doing modified work since the start of the week and we'll be making a decision tomorrow.»
The opponent
« Brest are a team with a lot of strengths in direct play, in attacking the area and in putting pressure on the opposition's defensive lines. It's a team that performs even better at home. We should congratulate them on their fine run last season and their start to the Champions League. This will be a real derby, in terms of commitment and intensity. We'll have to be ready for that.»
The calendar with the breaks
« Obviously, you'd prefer to have your whole squad with you, especially when the squad has changed so much at the start of the season. We need to work together because we don't yet have a strong enough base of reference points. We need to make the most of tomorrow's session to prepare well for our game against Brest.»
The emergence of a positive dynamic
« I think a run of two consecutive positive games could really kick-start something important, especially in terms of confidence. We know that confidence is crucial with players. Even when we're behind them, trying to keep their confidence up, we know that the most important thing is to win.»
Hans Hateboer
His first few months in Ligue 1
« I'm as happy as ever to be here. I really wanted to seize the opportunity to change clubs and leagues. I'm happy with my choice. Ligue 1 is different to what I was used to in Italy. The game is much more physical. It's like a new kind of football, but I like it.»
A completely new group
« In my case, I only had one week's training before the start of the season. If you want to create a new team, you need time. Even if I know that in football you don't have time. We have a very good squad, with young players who need to adapt to their new league. Personally, I have more experience, so I'm better able to manage this change.»
The game is much more physical. It's like a new kind of football, but I like it.
The difficulties at the start of the season
« It's difficult, it's not what we'd hoped for. But I think the tipping point is very fragile between a good and a bad start to the season. We deserve to have more points. For example, we deserved to win the game against Lens. When you look at the statistics against Monaco, we would also have deserved more, but that's football. Things can change quickly and I remain positive. If we continue on this path, I have the feeling we can achieve good results.»
The match against Brest
« I know that Brest had an incredible season last year, which went beyond expectations. I watched their match against Salzburg where they put in a great performance. They're a good team and it won't be an easy game. What's more, it's a derby, so there'll be extra pressure. We're going there to get a result. »
Éric Roy, entraîneur du SB29
« Rennes has a strong squad. The team has improved in terms of leadership and athleticism. We'll be trying, even if it's not easy, to be stronger than them. For our part, we're starting to get into our stride with the repetition of the games. We're certainly lacking a benchmark match in Ligue 1. We've been sluggish at times, even when we've won all three points. We have the qualities to improve as the season goes on. We rely on statistics but they don't define the way we play. If we don't have possession and we win the game, that's fine with me. But what interests me is high possession.»
Matchday 8 - Ligue 1 McDonald's
Stade Brestois 29 / Stade Rennais F.C.
Saturday 19 October 2024 - 5.00 pm CET
Stade Francis-Le Blé
