It was to everyone’s surprise, in the final hours of the transfer window, that Benjamin Pavard joined Olympique de Marseille this summer from Inter Milan. After a convincing start, the person concerned has gone through a difficult patch in recent weeks, appearing more to his advantage in the full-back position than in the center, his preferred position.
After three short months in the sky and white jersey, the 29-year-old international defender gives his first assessment on the official networks of the Marseille club. With the admitted predominant feeling of surprise: “ Italy is a very tactical championship, with a lot of work on details. Ligue 1 is very physical. I think we don’t realize this enough. Even when I was at Inter or Bayern, I watched Ligue 1, but I didn’t realize it was so physically intense. Today, I see that there are very good teams who produce play “, he confides.
On a personal level, Benjamin Pavard perceives his daily job as follows: “ You have to be tough on the man, very attentive, manage the coverages well. It’s different from being a right-back. The smallest space can become an opportunity. We all make mistakes, but we have to erase them and stay vigilant.
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An intact ambition in the service of OM
Passed into another dimension during the 2018 World Cup and this famous victorious recovery slammed against Argentina in the round of 16, the former Lille player believes he has reached many levels since. “ I gained a lot of experience. Bayern, Inter… these are clubs that make you grow. Today I manage certain situations better, even if we can always improve.
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If this World Cup won with the Blues in 2018 and the Champions League won in 2020 with Bayern remain his best footballing memories to this day, Benjamin Pavard now wants to write the history of OM. Its objective: “ Win a title or several. We have the coach, the staff, the players and the public to do it. The fans have been waiting for this for a long time. It’s up to us to give it our all! »