The Stade Rennais coach did not appreciate recent events within the Breton club.
It’s something Stade Rennais would have done well without, at the heart of a difficult season. Arriving last summer to take the Breton club to a new level, Nemanja Matic left Rennes without warning his employer. Leaving for Lyon, the Serbian midfielder exasperated his management, who split of a very vehement official press release.
In this explosive context, Julien Stéphan’s reaction was scrutinized. The Rennes coach had expressed the desire to keep Matic this winter. He therefore welcomed questions on this matter very coolly. “ I told you what I thought about it last week, that I wanted to continue with him for the second part of the season. Now, there is a situation and a coach in this situation must focus on his group, on the preparation of his matches and on daily life, and that is what I do“, he thundered.
“Stay focused on our job”
Relaunched on the subject, Julien Stéphan did not hide his annoyance. “ Is there someone who is preparing another question on “Nema” or am I saying the same thing again (smile)? I am a pragmatic coach who has to take care of his group on a daily basis, preparing for matches, here it is Nice who are arriving, we have worked hard all week for that (…) We are in a transfer window period which is a time when there is a lot of noise, a lot can happen, we have to stay focused on our job“. The message got through.
