Lorient coach Régis Le Bris: “We have four weeks to be ready before the resumption of Ligue 1.” | OneFootball

After a 15 day break Lorient coach, Régis Le Bris, is ready to get back to work. In an interview with the club he spoke about the World Cup break and how he plans to leverage the additional time away to prepare for the league return.

When asked about how he plans to adapt to the World Cup in the middle of the season he said this, “It is different from the usual break for Christmas. In general, players are released for 4 or 5 days, before resuming. This year, with the World Cup placed at the end of the year, the players were able to cut for two weeks. You have to adapt to that.”

With the unusually long break the coach was asked about the players fitness and their overall return to play, “On Monday, the players were all very happy to be there. In good shape. Now we need to pick up the pace. We have four weeks to be ready before the resumption of Ligue 1. The first days are going very well in any case.”

The team is also using the break for a change of pace in Spain. Le Bris spoke about the trip stating, “It is a fairly common practice for clubs. The fact of relocating also promotes cohesion, it is interesting for the players. We’re going to have very good training conditions, a milder climate, and a friendly match to end the week. It will immerse us in the preparation of the competition.”

The Lorient coach also spoke about the choice of Spain as the destination for the club’s training, “Yes it is a choice. I am attached to Spanish football. I have also had the opportunity to visit many of them. Our wish was to face a team from Navarre or the Basque Country. A choice of a club and a region.”

The French coach also spoke about Osasuna, the club they are playing in a friendly,  “Yes it is a club that I know well. For the little anecdote, I had done an internship there (November 2021). A club in our image, which is performing very well this year in La Liga. A team with a lot of intensity, commitment, very attached to its values too. A family club where the players are close to the supporters. A club that looks a lot like us.”

Lorient started the season in top form. For a large portion of the season they looked like the team that could challenge PSG for the championship. However, they have since lost a bit of ground. Le Bris was asked about how he plans to approach the second half of the season, starting, “It’s typical. We don’t have the same feeling at all as at the start of the season. We have already lived five months together, the players already have game the principles. Now we have to capitalize on these first months. Rebuild physical preparation, regenerate, to allow us to attack, in the best way, the second part of the season.”

Lorient currently sit in 5th on the league table. While the club from Brittany has dropped points over the last few matches they have remained competitive. Most notably in a very impressive match against PSG. Their next league match is against regional rival FC Nantes.