Breel Embolo: "Stay humble and work hard" | OneFootball

Determined to keep winning against Brest (Saturday, 7 p.m.) after a great league victory in the Derby against Nice at the Stade Louis-II, the Swiss striker spoke about the latest to the media.

He started the run-in in the best possible way. Scorer of the winning goal in the Derby against Nice (2-1), Breel Embolo helped the Rouge et Blanc to regain second place. It was therefore with full confidence that the Swiss striker spoke at a press conference, two days before the team’s trip to Brest (Saturday, 7 p.m.).🎙️

The team’s current form

February was a bit tough, even though there were some matches where we performed well. We managed to turn things around, we’re defending better and scoring more goals, and above all, we’re winning, which is the most important thing for our goals, which is to qualify for the Champions League — to show that AS Monaco has found the path to consistency. I’m doing everything I can to achieve this, as are all the members of the team.

As I've always said, I want to create chances for my teammates. After all, it's not about me; it's about winning every match. If I can help the team with goals and assists, that's a plus and it's part of my role, but I prefer to focus on our collective performance on the pitch.

Breel EmboloOn the team's collective performance against Nice

His performance against Nice

As I’ve always said, I want to create chances for my teammates. After all, it’s not about me; it’s about winning every match. If I can help the team with goals and assists, that’s a plus and it’s part of my role, but I prefer to focus on our collective performance on the pitch.

I started the Nice match very well in the first few attacks, and I notably won the penalty. One of my great qualities is being present at the right time in attack to successfully convert opportunities.

On his playing style

People tend to forget that I’m coming off an ACL injury. With the departure of Wissam Ben Yedder last summer, who was scoring 15-20 goals, I can understand that the same is expected of me, but I’ve never put any pressure on myself about it. Looking back at my season, I’ve had my chances; the negative thing is that I haven’t managed to convert them all.

At times, I may not have always had the luck on my side, but my goal remains to score as much as possible. We’re all called upon to defend and attack, and that’s part of our objective as a club.

His connection with Mika Biereth

We get along well, Mika and I, but I also complement Balo’ very well, even though he missed a large part of the season. George and I share similar physical abilities and a similar game. When you play with two strikers, it’s easier because the defenders aren’t solely focused on you. But I can also play very well on my own up front.

It would be silly to get complacent because we have a big match ahead of us on Saturday against Brest. (...) We must remain humble and work hard, Brest has the opportunity to close the gap with us and we will try to get a second consecutive away victory.

Breel EmboloThe importance of staying focused

The team’s confidence level after the Derby victory

It would be silly to get complacent because we have a big match ahead of us on Saturday against Brest. It was important for us because Nice is a direct competitor, and we really wanted to win this Derby. We must remain humble and work hard. Brest has the opportunity to close the gap on us, and we will try to get a second consecutive away victory after winning in Angers.

The team’s ability to react

Our game plan isn’t to concede the opening goal and then react. We always want to start strong, so everyone has to give 100%. That’s kind of our strength, even if at times the squad wasn’t at full strength. When you look at the match against Nice and the players on the bench, there’s quality, and we have to give our all. Whether it’s a forward or a defender who scores, we’re happy for everyone. It’s a real strength of character for the team.

His return from injury

It came down to mental strength. When you’re not in a secure phase after a major injury, it happens to every striker that he isn’t decisive for two or three matches. But the most important thing is to create chances and always believe in yourself to make the difference at the right time.

After my injury, I did double or even triple the training to strengthen myself. Other times, it was more about prevention; you had to work intelligently to avoid muscle injuries. Many players relapse after cruciate injuries, but we managed with the Club to ensure that I could keep working. And then mentally, I feel at my best, I managed to play matches back to back for club and international matches, which is what I wanted.

Being the captain for Switzerland

(Smiles) In the national team, Granit Xhaka, who normally plays every match and every minute, wasn’t there because he became a father and Manuel Akanji was injured. So that’s why I inherited the armband. But believe me, it’s easier to win the lottery than to take the captain’s armband from Xhaka! (Laughs) It was obviously a special moment for my family and me and I’m happy to have done well in our matches.

Chris is already a great player. He's very young, he's already got both feet, and he's brought a breath of fresh air into the locker room. Chris defends well and he's here to defend, and we're here to score and help the team win.

Breel EmboloOn the improvement of Christian Mawissa

The improvement of Christian Mawissa

Chris is already a great player. He’s very young, he can use both feet and he brought a breath of fresh air into the dressing room. We even thought we was the new Dani Alves when he scored in his first match against Barcelona! (Smile) His shooting quality for a defender is incredible, but his primary objective is to defend, and he does it well. He was selected for the French Under-21s and he brings us a lot of dynamism.

I have a big brother role with several players, and Christian is one of them. The competition is tough in this position: Mohammed Salisu is having a great season, Thilo Kehrer has stabilized our defense, and Wilfried Singo was, for me, the best defender in Ligue 1 last year. Places are hard to come by, but it helps us be the best every day. And the group is taking it very well; there’s no jealousy, and the team always comes first.