Current third in Ligue 1 and in the fight for second place, Lens will “not go mad” in the event of qualification for the Champions League, warned Friday the coach and general manager of the artesian club, Franck Haise.
“I think there won’t be any madness because we don’t have the means, and you shouldn’t do anything even if you get a qualification in a very prestigious competition”, assured Haise at a press conference.
“Even if there is a Champions League, there will be no exceptional recruitments, because, one, it is not in our will, and two, it is not in our possibilities either” , added the coach of the artesian club since March 2020 and also appointed general manager last October.
Current third in Ligue 1, Lens welcomes Marseille, second, on Saturday during the 34th day (9:00 p.m.). A meeting that almost looks like the final for second place, directly qualifying for the group stages of the Champions League, due to the more affordable end of the season that will then await the two clubs.
His remarks join those of the general manager of the club, Arnaud Pouille, who assured in the columns of L’Equipe on Friday that Lens was not going to “change gear” in the event of qualification for the C1.
Lens could ensure on Saturday, in the event of success against Marseille or in the event of missteps from Rennes to Nice, of a first European qualification since the 2007/2008 season. With 8 points ahead of Monaco (4th) and still 15 points to take, they are also very close to securing the podium.
A season that exceeded all expectations for Lens, as Franck Haise himself admitted: “We are programmed to make a top 8-top 10, with the internal ambition of going to play in Europe or get closer to it. We were not initially scheduled for the Champions League.