Didier Tholot and Théo Bouchlarhem met the press at the traditional pre-match press briefing on Thursday, 24 hours ahead of the match against Baden. An opportunity to find out a little more about Sedun's new striker.
Here's what to take away from the press conference:
Didier Tholot, on the match against FC Baden:
"It's going to be another complicated game. I don't care about the standings, every game will be tough. They've scored five and six goals, but they've also put Aarau and Vaduz to the sword. We know they'll come to defend and try to counter. We'll have to set the pace to try and disorganize them. We'll need to be in the same frame of mind as in our last few games. We mustn't be complacent, but move forward calmly and confidently.
Didier Tholot, on the importance of Tourbillon:
"It's great to be able to come back to Tourbillon after three away games. We've picked up a lot of points at home since the start of the season, and it's important to keep that momentum going. Once again, our stadium must be protected as something we hold dear."
Didier Tholot, on the upcoming international break:
"We'll have a few days' rest after Friday's game. After that, we're off to a camp in the Vallée de Joux. This will be an opportunity to continue building a group through a camp combining soccer and extra-sport activities. A friendly match is scheduled for next Friday. Before this break, it's important to finish well. The position in the standings won't be decisive, but finishing with sixteen points from six games would be good for the group's confidence."
Théo Bouchlarhem, on his arrival at FC Sion:
"My adaptation here has gone very well. I started with a hat-trick in a friendly match, which gave credibility to my arrival. I've been very well received and I ask a lot of advice from the more experienced players. A lot of the acclimatization takes place on the pitch, but I'm someone who likes to reach out to people and is easy to talk to. The sporting project convinced me to come here. Xavier Kouassi, who I worked with at Pau, strongly advised me to come to Sion, as I was going to blossom both on and off the pitch. What the coach had to say also gave me confidence.
Théo Bouchlarhem, on the upcoming match:
"It's going to be a real Challenge League match. They're going to come hard in the duels. We've been working hard all week to put in a good performance tomorrow. It's a match not to be neglected, and to be taken like any other. In fact, the coach's first speech this week was along those lines. We want to win every game, and we'll approach each one with the same determination. Baden will want to win against us too.
Théo Bouchlarhem, on his start to the season and his relationship with the coach:
"I feel good. I started training later than the others and suffered in the first few games. But I've been feeling good for a few weeks now. For a striker, you often look at the statistics. I'm always chasing my first goal, but I'm not fixated on it. The coach gives me a lot of confidence. He's played an important role in my career. He's a man of his word, and I've never doubted his promises. Now I have to repay that trust on the pitch.
Sion - Baden, tomorrow at 8.15pm at Tourbillon!
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