ENTRETIEN EXCLUSIF AVEC VALÈRE GERMAIN - AS MONACO

Valère Germain former striker for AS Monaco from 2005 to 2017 champion of Ligue 2 and champion of Ligue 1 My club my developing club my club with which I won my titles a club that trained me as a footballer a club that trained me as a comedian I experienced the most beautiful emotions as a footballer with AS Monaco so it means a lot to me From 2010 to 2011 it remains a complicated season because it's when I had my first professional memories which were still very good moments But it's true that it was greatly tarnished by that May 2011 evening when we lost at home against Lyon and that defeat sent us down to Ligue 2 It was a night of disaster for us players the staff at the time and all the Montgomery Gatsch I'm thinking of all the people who have shown us their messages of sympathy lately all the Monaco supporters all the people who have loved the club for many years I'm very disappointed for them You don't lose the season on this match I think we've been losing it for a while This match happened before I remember a Monaco-Lens game where they scored a goal in the last minute by Varane It was also this kind of result that caused us to drop down to Ligue 2 Even the holidays after were complicated very long But one must not be discouraged and try to return to preparation with the best possible intentions The first six months were very complicated Marco Timoné had taken over from coach Banide We were in 20th place we couldn't get out of that red zone and it was true that the future looked complicated both on and off the field I remember playing in Guingamp where we lost 4-0 4-1 and we finished the match with 9 or 10 players I can't remember exactly There were fans who came to see us at the airport after the match and showed their dissatisfaction It was normal because were in Monaco and we had to present a better image in Ligue 2 We thought it would be easier than that but it was a very complicated time We learned that Mr Guibault-Loeff was joining us at the end of December 2011 and it was indeed a great breath of fresh air for us We will say goodbye to the future with more positives than it was at that time When they arrived there was a big transfer window but were still 20th in Ligue 2 Things were happening off the field the club was changing and you could feel it a lot I still remember the first meetings where they made it clear that AS Monaco didn't belong there They were going to handle the non-sporting aspects and it was up to us on the field to play to try to get the club back to where it belonged as quickly as possible We have had 4-5 last months with many victories At a certain point even when starting in 20th place they considered going straight up Finally we started a bit too far ahead and ended up in 7th or 8th place in our first season in Ligue 2 It wasn't a foregone conclusion but it's true that when we saw there was an internationally renowned coac It's true that Monaco had invested more resources than Ligue 2 clubs but the arrival of Claudio Ranieri was significant From the start we felt we had a strong group there was a very nice atmosphere within the group And continuing a bit from the first months of 2012 the first months of the new AS Monaco On a felt that this year was ours and that AS Monaco would return to its place among the elite of French football An exceptional year a year filled with emotions We won a lot of matches we had a lot of fun on the field Outside the field there was a group that got along very well We ended the year by first climbing back up confirming our promotion to Nîmes and securing the French championship title at home I had the chance to score a penalty in that match These images of fans rushing the field at the moment we have the trophy in our hands with manager Claudio as well A wonderful year and a great memory for all the members present in the team at that time They organized a party so we could celebrate before going on vacation There is a large screen and it shows that the president is announcing the arrival of Radda and Falcao For us coming from Ligue 2 and having just left the academy a few months or years earlier I remember were watching the screen our eyes full of stars when we realized were going to play against such players During training we learned every day and it was an incredible opportunity for us I think the president had the intelligence to recruit players who were needed to try to be as competitive as possible as quickly as possible in Ligue 1 He has recruited international stars and has also continued to develop players from the academy which has always been something very important for this club And players with great potential such as Lucas Ocampos who arrived a few months earlier Anthony Martial as well who joined us a bit later It was an incredible mix and in the end it paid off immediately because we had an outstanding first season He almost fought for the title until the end even though Paris was a bit better than us in the end of the championship Ranieri and his staff did an incredible job We knew the club's future lay in the European Cup and we had the chance to do it from the very first year For the Monaco project qualifying for the European Cup each year was very important to continue growing Continue to attract players and ensure that young players from the academy can learn alongside international players Behind Paris Monaco was the most consistent club during those years One would have certainly deserved to win more At the start of the season Bernardo was a top player but didn't have the season he had Thomas Lemar same here Falcao was coming back from two years of loans and injuries it was tough I was coming from Nice Fabinho and Bakayoko who were two very good players but few expected to see us at that level Maybe we ourselves didn't believe in it but some in the dressing room like Falcao Nabil Souba myself Radji I think we have seen the potential of this team especially during the preparation We were told that if we put all our efforts in the same direction we could accomplish something great That's why several times Falcao who was the team captain tried to motivate everyone because we felt it was our year He is going to meet Sidibé the strong center of Sidibé magnificent Who is taking him what is he looking for Lira that's the opposite I remember that in August we beat Paris at home It was only the beginning of the season but in this match were on top we dominated them We were told why not us Certainly the championship was very long and the Champions League had us playing every three days Beyond our team and Paris there was Nice who also had an excellent season because they won the autumn championship As time went on we gained confidence especially with that great run in the Champions League Starting from the beginning of January we turned on the engine because on the return trip we had a perfect 1-1 draw We have 17 wins 2 draws and it has been something extraordinary I think everyone has their career season Others have had even better ones after their time at Monaco All the planets were aligned We were winning matches 5-0 7-1 were scoring six When someone joined the group they felt the need to prove themselves to make an impression We never stopped were a steamroller They told us were unbeatable when we talked to the players we played against today Personally I think it's one of my most accomplished seasons It's true that with Falcao we got along very well we formed a very nice partnership I still have many beautiful memories I often talk about them with him and it remains an incredible memory I was a bit disappointed not being able to finish the season as a starter Looking back today I think it's Mbappé who has taken my starting position Given the level he currently displays I think it's been a chance for me to be able to grow with him I am lucky enough to say that I have truly experienced everything with this club I remember when went down against Lyon I was on the field lying down I was a bit lost were stunned we didn't know where were going It was really very complicated I scored the goal finally that goal because were winning 0 But it's true that this goal validated our victory at home against Saint-Etienne The referee blows the whistle immediately almost right after the goal and confirms our championship title These two powerful images that will remain with me and will also be remembered in the club's history I was lucky enough to be the young academy player who appeared in these two powerful images