Well established in goal for the Niçois and making a big impact on a regular basis, Yoan Cardinale (23 years-old) represents one of the key elements of the closing stages of the season. As the Gym move forward towards the end of a palpitating season, the goalkeeper comes out of his area to prepare himself for the battles ahead.

Yoan, the league restarts on Sunday, how do you feel the squad is doing?

We are in a really good way. We are really pleased with the first three quarters of our season. Now, we have the final sprint. We will try to secure as many points as possible to keep 3rd place.

How do you feel as a group when you see that certain key players are injured?
The first reaction is that it is a blow because, these are experienced players. But we also say that we have a deep enough squad to replace them and to continue playing well. At the moment, we are lacking the domination, but we are still managing to win matches and not to lose those when things are going less well. That proves that we have a strong squad.

To hold on when “things are going less well”: is that the main difference from last season?

Yes, even if it isn’t the only one. Last year, there were lots of matches when we weren’t playing well and we couldn’t manage to turn it around. Now, even when things are really complicated, we keep the possibility of equalising. We have done that on several occasions, like against Caen, Rennes, when we were trailing 0-2 and we came back, or even against Montpellier, where we came back to win the game. It is great to get to the 31st match and to have only lost on two occasions. That shows that the team plays with the ball, has a lot of character and knows, when needed, to compensate with aggression.

A defeat in the Cup, a draw in the first game: this season, the two previous fixtures against Bordeaux have been complicated.

They are a difficult team to handle, at their place or when they play away, they have some good players. We know what to expect, it’s just down to us to do what’s needed to win.

What do you think about this team?

They have come back very strongly in 2017; their coach has brought a new impetus, a new way of playing. It is working rather well for them. They won their first match with a four goal lead, scoring 5 against Montpellier, which isn’t easy. We need to be careful.

Apart from this game, a tough schedule awaits the Gym in the final 8 games…

As a player, it’s the best schedule possible! We have a tough end to the season, but hey, since the beginning, every match has been tough. As we always say, we don’t focus on the medium term, but just the next game. We will think about the rest afterwards.

"Above all, we can’t allow ourselves to say that 3rd place is in the bag"
 

You have only been involved in top of the table pushes in L1. What makes these final stages of the season different?

Last year, there was extra pressure for everyone. When we played against St-Etienne or Rennes at the end of the season, the stadium was full to the brim. For us, on the bus, we were less at ease; there was something that was different throughout. It is always great to play the last couple of games battling for Europe. Especially when you have a memory.

What do you mean?

A few years ago, as the final two or three games were coming, everyone was shaking. We were scared that the club would be relegated. Today, we are worried because we aren’t sure if Nice will remain in the Champions League spots. We have come a long way, it’s good. But you also have to remember the tough times.

What is the key for the end of the season?

To be at the top, you need to be good at home. We are.  It has almost been one and half years that we haven’t lost at home, we don’t drop many points. We need to be undefeated in the four final games at the Allianz, whilst at the same time, picking up points away too.

On the other hand, what are the risks to avoid?

Above all, we can’t allow ourselves to say that 3rd place is in the bag. For me that is the biggest risk. We can’t think that Lyon are out of it, because there are a lot of points to play for. At home, we will welcome teams like Nancy and Angers: we have to win that type of game, to go into the ‘big games’ in the best possible position, to be relaxed and to go to Lyon without pressure, because it would be tough to play a decisive game there. Even if last season (1-1), we managed to perform well there, despite the frustration at not taking the three points...

C.D

---