Champions Trophy: “Mission impossible? No,” says Toulouse coach Martinez Novell

“We have our chances,” said Toulouse coach Carles Martinez Novell on Tuesday at a press conference on the eve of the colossal challenge that his men are preparing to take on on the pitch of Paris Saint-Germain, who have won nine of the ten last Champions Trophy.

Q: Facing Paris at the Parc des Princes seems like a mission impossible for many. Is this your feeling too?

A: “Mission impossible? No. If that were the case we wouldn’t even have prepared for this meeting. Of course it’s very complicated to face PSG on home soil but it’s a final, a very important match for us, for the club, for the city. You can earn an additional trophy in a single encounter. We would all have preferred to play on neutral ground as is the tradition for this final, and we are not very happy with this decision (playing at the Park, Editor’s note), but we have to comply with it. The only thing we can control is to give our best and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Q: You resisted PSG during the championship match in Toulouse last August (1-1). Did this match help you in preparing for this final?

A: “We have been preparing for this match since December 28 with a lot of effort. We have our chances. I remember saying at the time that I would rather play PSG in August than in December. This is still the case (smile). Today Paris is much better established. They have been working with Luis Enrique for six months, everything is clearer for everyone. They are good with the ball, they are good without it. It’s a very dynamic team. Now, I can’t reveal everything but we have certain avenues to try to hinder them.

Q: Can having beaten Liverpool in the Europa League (3-2 last November) help your team desecrate this meeting?

A: “That’s a good example! The European Cup must serve us well. We are often told that we are more comfortable on the European scene so, yes, I hope that tomorrow will be an incredible day for us. We will have to have the same impeccable state of mind as that day, be as efficient as possible, accept to suffer together and make the right choices at the right time.