Schalke - Nice

L. Favre: 'It depends on us and the others'

On the eve of the decisive Europa League clash between Le Gym and Schalke 04 (kick-off at 19:00), Lucien Favre held his customary pre-match press conference. Joined by Younès Belhanda, the Swiss coach concisely summed up Le Gym’s current situation.

Coach, ahead of a very busy period, are you tempted to prioritise the league over European competition?
That won’t be the case; that’s not how we look at things. We know the situation very well: it depends on us, but it depends on the others too, even though our chances (of qualifying) aren’t very good.

Given that they’ve already clinched top spot in Group I, Schalke will surely rotate their squad on Thursday…
They have two more or less equally strong teams. I don’t think they’ll be taking the match lightly and when they make changes, it’s the same thing. The players who will play will be motivated as it’s a real opportunity for them. It’s possible that there will be changes on our side too, as there is a pretty busy run coming up. We have to think about the long term as there are players with whom we need to be careful. We have nine matches to play in the space of 28 days. For some players it will get tough because of injuries and anyway it’s not possible that a player take part in all of those matches.

What do you think of the Veltins Arena and the atmosphere there?
It’s a magnificent stadium, one of the most beautiful in Germany - hyper-modern and very practical. When you walk around inside and outside the stadium, it’s magnificent. It’s very welcoming and has a super atmosphere.

What’s the new concerning Mario Balotelli?
There is no real news, but things went badly when he took a shot on goal yesterday (Tuesday). We’re awaiting the results of further examinations. But he won’t be ready for tomorrow, nor for Sunday.