‘We call this a reference match,’ Habib Beye’s reaction after Strasbourg

His Feelings

“It’s a great satisfaction for my players and for the whole group — they played a very good match from start to finish. The stadium was behind us, and this win belongs to the entire club. It gives us strength to keep working. This victory also does a lot of good for my staff as a whole.”

2–0 at Half-Time, No Panic

“The reaction was immediate — we’ve always said we need to stay positive. When the team came back into the dressing room, I told them to go for the third goal, and they came back out with that mindset. I told you that momentum could shift — that’s the story of a match, and it’s great for the players to experience that.”

Turning Point

“It’s a turning point because we played with the same starting eleven just four days after Toulouse, and it was a complete performance from beginning to end. We mustn’t forget who we were up against — we challenged them in terms of impact and intensity. I’ve always said this team would grow stronger over time.

We had the chance to play our game, to be carried by the crowd, to be pushed to keep playing. I’m very happy that everything we had glimpsed in moments before finally came together in a full, consistent match.”

Complementarities

“What’s been working since the Toulouse match — and again today — are the complementarities. We’ve found good combinations. Frankie’s position gives Mahdi depth in attack. On the other side, Djaoui has the ability to play those deep passes that benefit Mousa. These partnerships give us an asymmetrical style of play, which is satisfying. The substitutes also brought quality.”

A Benchmark Match?

“We did things that show where we want to go and what we want to be as a team. Even after the defeat against Nice, the message was very clear — we made choices and reintroduced competition within the squad. I got a great response from the group — yesterday at the hotel, and today during the game.

We all experienced this victory together, just as the President had said. The players are the driving force — they built something in Toulouse and built on it today. Now we’ll need to make life difficult for Paris FC. In football terms, this is what you’d call a ‘benchmark match,’ but benchmark matches have to be confirmed.”

Estéban Lepaul XXL

“Estéban is obsessed with scoring — that’s what he lives for in training. He loves the game and has an exceptional work ethic. I’ve wanted to sign him for four years, so I’m very happy to have him here. He fully deserves this hat-trick.

And I can tell you, he went and shook hands with every single teammate — he sees football as a collective effort, and that’s very positive for us.”