“We won’t give any gifts”: MHSC coach Michel Der Zakarian expects “a good fight” against Nantes

L’entraîneur Michel Der Zakarian s’attend à “un match difficile”, vendredi. Midi Libre – JEAN MICHEL MART

If he should have a complete group, the Montpellier coach is hoping for another full match against the Canaries, Friday at La Mosson, to secure the continuation, he insisted at a press conference on Wednesday 24& ;nbsp;April.

Nothing has happened yet. If by winning in Reims (1-2) last Sunday, Montpellier took a huge step towards maintaining, it does not yet want to believe it has arrived. Michel Der Zakarian, the MHSC coach, hammered home this message on Wednesday in a conference, two days before the Nantes reception, Friday (9 p.m.), during the 31st day of Ligue 1. < /p>

The ranking of Ligue 1

With eight points ahead of the barrage Le Havre – while waiting for the late Lorient match this Wednesday evening against PSG – with four games remaining at the end of the season, the MHSC seems virtually out of the woods. But despite its current form (1 defeat in the last 7 matches), the Hérault club therefore intends not to be satisfied with probabilities. "We too are in the fight, like the teams behind us today. We need one more victory to completely secure our place in Ligue 1", estimated the Hérault coach on Wednesday.

"I know Antoine, I know that he has prepared his team well to annoy us"

This last success to add up, Der Zak wants to glean it on Friday against Nantes, currently 14th and in a much more precarious situation (3 points on Le Havre). But the Canaries, although they have just fallen in the Breton derby against Rennes (0-3), remain no less dangerous, he warns.

Especially with Antoine Kombouaré at their head, ex-partner at the FCN and friend of Der Zakarian. "It's going to be a difficult match , they remain on 2 victories in a row away from home (at Le Havre 1-0 and at Nice 2-1), that will not be easy. I know Antoine, I know that he has prepared his team well to annoy us", smiles the Montpellier coach, whose personal history with Nantes always makes this duel special .

🎙 𝑪𝑶𝑵𝑭
🗣 Michel Der Zakarian

⚡️ #MHSCFCN pic.twitter.com/xGOeQjBhmW

— MHSC (@MontpellierHSC) April 24, 2024

Trained in Loire-Atlantique at the school of Jean-Claude Suaudeau alongside Kombouaré, turned pro then quarter-finalist in a UEFA Cup (ancestor of the Europa League) with the Canaries, Der Zak was the coach twice. For so many rises in Ligue 1 and divorces with the very controversial president, Waldemar Kita. "I have a lot of respect for Nantes, I
grew up there, I learned high-level football there. I have a lot of respect for this audience", summarizes the pailladin coach.

An "answer" after the trip, a mess of choices

Without losing sight of the essentials. "But on Friday, we won't give them any gifts either. They would have been in our place, there would have been no gift either. We will fight to win the match, we need points too. It's going to be a good fight", he hopes, with a taste of revenge compared to the first leg, lost 2-0 last October. "We had been dominated in all areas. There is a response to be had from us."

Unlike this meeting at Beaujoire, Michel Der Zakarian will have a full group, with the exception of the long-term injured Axel Guéguin (knee)  : Jordan Ferri has served his match suspension and Théo Sainte-Luce has recovered from an injury to his left thigh.

"We got everyone back, we'll see who starts. I have a lot of choices to put a team on the field, notes the technician. It's up to me to make the right choices to continue to win matches&quot ;. During this penultimate match of the season at home, in a Mosson where the MHSC has largely struggled since August with only three successes – "4 matches sorry", continues Der Zak, in reference to Clermont –, there is still a lot to play for.< /p>