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Fans and club in unison as AS Monaco’s final challenge awaits

by: Luke Entwistle
19/05/2022

Players and supporters alike revelled in the “good vibes” during an open training session at the Stade Louis II on Wednesday, as AS Monaco prepare for their final game of the Ligue 1 season.

Prior to Wednesday’s session, the club recognised the unwavering support of the fan groups as they were presented with the new AS Monaco 2022/23 home kit by owner Dimitry Rybolovlev before last Saturday’s match against Brest.

The 18 fan groups, from all across France and even Italy, are what give Monaco their motto “Everywhere. Always.”. The groups are largely responsible for the club filling the away ends matches across the country, and they will do so once more before the season’s end.

In under a day, Monaco sold their 1,000-seat allocation for the trip to RC Lens on Saturday, where just a draw will suffice to earn them a place on the Ligue 1 podium. For those who don’t have the opportunity to make the trip up north, there is an exciting alternative right here in the Principality.

A giant screen will be erected in front of the Pésage stand of the Stade Louis II, which will broadcast the game live. It will be a spectacular open-air cinema experience, with the stadium’s iconic arches towering above the screen. With qualification for the Champions League on the line, there is bound to be a great atmosphere in a stand that is usually inhabited by the club’s Ultras group.

Tickets for the event can be bought at www.billeterie.asmonaco.com, or from the Stade Louis II ticket office. Access is free for season ticket holders, whilst general admission will cost just €5. VIP access is available for €70 (without tax), and can be bought by contacting gmotyka@asmonaco.com.

Fans can arrive from 8pm and a whole host of pre-match, half-time and post-match activities have been planned, and mascot Bouba will also be in attendance.

Before making the trip, fans descended on the stadium on Wednesday to attend an opening training session. On a hot day in the Principality, nearly 300 fans came to watch the likes of Aurélien Tchouaméni and Wissam Ben Yedder prepare for the big fixture. There was no shortage of determination and effort from the players, but all of them still mustered the energy to engage with fans after the session as they posed for pictures, chatted and signed autographs.

As Tchouaméni and Youssouf Fofana revealed post-session, not only was this a great event to allow fans to feel even closer to the club, it was also beneficial for the players themselves. “They’ve given us energy and good vibes,” said Fofana. “It’s a pleasure to train in front of the public.”

Photo by Luke Entwistle, Monaco Life

 

 

 

ASM preview: “We are still the hunters”

by: Luke Entwistle
12/05/2022

Speaking on Thursday ahead of the final home game of the season, AS Monaco manager Philippe Clement said that his team still assumes the role of the “hunter” in the Champions League race.

During the press conference, Clement sought to dismiss the notion that Monaco’s role in the race for the Champions League places had changed. Rennes’ loss on Wednesday night against recently crowned Coupe de France winners Nantes saw Clement’s men take a step onto the Ligue 1 podium for the first time all season.

However, he told Monaco Life: “I haven’t seen a difference in mentality because you stay in the role of hunter whilst there are still teams ahead of you. We’re ambitious, we want to win every match, and more and more I see this mentality in the dressing room.”

Pushing Monaco towards their goal is a positive mentality that Clement himself has engendered, and which permeates the entire squad, not just the starting 11. “It’s easy to have this positivity, to have this positive atmosphere with players who have played a lot, but I also see it in the players who have played less the last couple of months. There is really a beautiful harmony between the players and also an atmosphere with a lot of competitiveness during the training sessions.”

That “harmony” and “positive atmosphere” naturally gives rise to a group of players that sacrifice themselves for the collective, and that is what Clement is now beginning to see, the manager citing Ruben Aguilar and Wissam Ben Yedder as embodiments of that mindset.

“Aguilar is a survivor,” Clement began. “When there is a wall on the pitch, you can ask him to run through it and he will. He has an exceptional desire to play, but to run as well. He is someone who is always there for the team and does things to help others.”

Clement has also noted a change in Ben Yedder’s play since arriving. “He has become very versatile. When I arrived, he was very focused on scoring goals, but on little else. Now, he does a lot more work off the ball than when I arrived and he is more focused on doing that. Because of that, we’re stronger as a team.”

But for long-term absentees Krepin Diatta and Cesc Fabregas, Clement has a full squad to pick from; neither will feature again this season, whilst the latter’s contract expiry means he may not pull on the red and white of Monaco again.

In this hunt, Brest play the role of the prey. Monaco lost 2-0 when they visited the Stade France le Blé earlier in the season, but on their best run since 2017, the Principality side are now a different beast and are hungry for Champions League football next season.

 

 

Photo by Monaco Life

 

 

 

 

 

The Monaco model in perfect working order

by: Luke Entwistle
11/05/2022

AS Monaco signed Mamadou Coulibaly to his first professional contract last Thursday. The ink on the midfielder’s contract had barely dried before rumours of Aurélien Tchouaméni’s expected departure reached fever-pitch.

The concurrent but contrasting stories provide a perfect snapshot of a healthy club culture, which prioritises youth development, yielding both on-field and off-field benefits.

According to Foot Mercato, Monaco fended off interest from some of Europe’s elite clubs, including Manchester City and Atletico Madrid, in order to sign 18-year-old Coulibaly to a contract running until 2025.

Speaking in a press release, sporting director Paul Mitchell said, “The development of young talent in our academy is a priority in our sporting project… I would like to congratulate Mamadou for the work he has already done. Of course, there is still a long way to go and it’s up to him to continue to work even harder in order to pass the next stages of his progression.”

Whilst first-team opportunities in the short-term may be limited, there is every chance that he could fill Tchouaméni’s role. The French midfielder has once again excelled this year, and as we approach the final gameweeks before the end of the season, rumours about his reportedly probable departure are only intensifying.

During last Wednesday’s press conference, when asked about staying at the Principality side in order to aid them in another European adventure, Tchouaméni replied, “Yeah, why not? The elimination last year stuck in my throat. Playing Champions League football with Monaco isn’t something that would displease me.”

The French international’s contract runs until 2024, with an option for a further year, but just hours after the above declaration, RMC were reporting that he is indeed set on departing this summer.

According to their report on Thursday, Chelsea, Liverpool and Real Madrid are the favourites to land the much-coveted Monégasque talisman, although PSG haven’t given up on the idea of bringing him to the Parc des Princes. If he is to leave, he won’t do so on the cheap; a fee in excess of €50 million has previously been touted for the midfielder, a figure that could yet rise further, especially if a bidding war ensues.

Tchouaméni’s two goals in Friday’s win over Lille may have also added a few million to an already hefty price tag. Should he leave, his departure would be an archetypal example of AS Monaco: a club that provides a clear pathway for young players to break-through, develop, and often, eventually, leave.

Now a fully-fledged French international, coveted by Europe’s elite, Coulibaly would do well to follow in Tchouaméni’s footsteps, and he is in the right place to do it.

 

 

Photo by AS Monaco

 

 

 

 

ASM preview: “We’ve given ourselves the right to dream”

by: Luke Entwistle
05/05/2022

AS Monaco midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni told the press on Wednesday that Monaco have given themselves “the right to dream” at the end of the season, whilst Philippe Clement struck a wary tone.

The press assembled in La Turbie on Wednesday for a pre-match press conference ahead of Friday’s trip to reigning champions LOSC Lille.

Having fought back from the brink after a disappointing March, Tchouaméni admitted that he had doubts about bouncing back to launch an assault on the Champions League places, but is grateful to be in the fight for the podium.

The Frenchman told Monaco Life, “Honestly, every season has its own story. If you had asked me after the defeat against Strasbourg if we would have won seven in a row, honestly, I wouldn’t have believed you. Now, we have given ourselves the right to dream. We have three games left, starting with an important match against Lille. Away from home, that will be a difficult match.”

That is the objective for Tchouaméni, who has often been linked with a move away from AS Monaco, but who would nonetheless like to play Champions League football with the Principality side next season.

“The elimination in the play-off round last year stuck in my throat. Playing Champions League football with Monaco isn’t something that would displease me.”

Only three “finals” stand between Monaco and Champions League football next season. They are only outside of the podium on goal difference, whilst the two teams ahead of them, Rennes and Marseille, must still play against each other. In all likelihood – although it isn’t completely guaranteed – Monaco will qualify should they win their remaining fixtures.

Clement, however, is wary of Friday’s opponents Lille, who despite losing 3-0 against Troyes in an ill-tempered match at the weekend, are nonetheless the reigning champions of France. “I’m not too fond of facing teams when they have just lost a match,” admitted Clement.

“They will want to show a reaction. Lille are also strong at home, where they have only lost three times all season… so I’m mistrustful of this opponent.”

Clement will likely be able to count on the same side that won 2-0 against Angers on Sunday. Monaco Life was present at training in La Turbie on Wednesday and can report that Ruben Aguilar, despite seeming to come off with a niggle over the weekend, did train with the group. Gelson Martins and Cesc Fabregas are still absent, and neither will make the trip to Lille.

Tchouaméni says that the recent seven-game run has given them the “right to dream”. It is now in Monaco’s hands to make that dream a reality.

 

 

 

“We want to fight every game for Clement and the fans”

by: Luke Entwistle
04/05/2022

ASM’s in-form Dutch striker Myron Boadu sat down with Monaco Life to discuss the team’s recent resurrection, the impact of Philippe Clement, and the process of “becoming himself” again.

Arriving from AZ Alkmaar in August 2021, the €17 million price tag looked to be weighing heavily on the young Dutchman’s shoulders, as he netted only twice during Nico Kovac’s reign as AS Monaco manager, averaging a goal every 510 minutes. Fast forward to May and Monaco are on a seven-game winning run, whilst Myron Boadu, under the tutelage of new manager Phillipe Clement, looks to have broken free from the shackles that constrained him during those difficult beginnings, scoring three goals in his last six games and averaging a goal every 96 minutes.

Monaco Life: Coming from the Eredivisie, you took time to adapt to Ligue 1. How do you evaluate those first few months?

Myron Boadu: I’m a young player. For me, it was the first time going abroad and of course to a stronger league, so that was a little bit difficult in the beginning. I expected it, but on the other hand, I also expected that I’d be scoring goals every game, like in Holland. I talked a lot with my agent, with my parents, with the coach at that time and Paul Mitchell as well. So, they gave me the confidence to just do my thing, they said just have patience and my qualities will show through. I also spoke with Calvin Stengs (OGC Nice winger). We talked about the new life that we were experiencing, and he had similar problems to me. I think it was good to have each other.

What would you say are the most notable differences between the two leagues?

I saw a difference in the style of play. Most of the teams play against us with five defenders, and in the Eredivisie, even the clubs that are playing to avoid relegation are playing a 4-3-3, attacking football. That is the main difference, as well as the physicality. It’s not normal. All of the defenders here are so strong, and I consider myself a strong guy. That’s what really stands out for me. What I see here as well is that everyone has a winning mentality, even in training, which is a little bit different from Holland. In training in France, when we lose as a team, we can really go back to the dressing room angry, disappointed. It is really competitive, but I think that is good. In Holland, it’s a little bit less so. We come off the pitch and it’s finished.

You talk about training, how has the intensity of those sessions improved you both on a physical and tactical level?

I had to adapt, it was finding out the right schedule to work on my physique. It was also good to replicate in training what I would expect in a game, with Axel Disasi, Benoît Badiashile and Aurélien Tchouaméni. Those kinds of guys are super strong, so in that way, it allowed me to adapt to Ligue 1’s style of play. Ben Yedder is a fantastic player as well, and a fantastic person. For me it was important to see a top striker in front of me. I’m happy that he’s my team-mate. In training I watch what he does, how he does it, and I try to add it to my game. If we are in a finishing drill then he and Kevin Volland will give me words of advice, and I appreciate that from them.

Having undergone that process of adaptation, you scored against Nantes in the defeat on penalties in the Coupe de France semi-final. Can you talk us through that bittersweet moment?

It was a very important moment for me because I felt that from January until that moment I became the person I am today, I became myself again. The first six months was a matter of adapting to this new situation and I think that is normal… I was ultimately disappointed, I wanted to be in the final, but I was happy to have scored that goal. For me at that point, I knew I just had to continue like that.

That match was the beginning of a difficult March. How pivotal has Clement been to the turnaround? Disasi and Badiashile have both talked about the calmness and optimism that he exudes.

After that match, we had a lot of disappointments one after another, but the coach always told us that he knew how good we could be, and I think that is important for a coach to do that and we respect him a lot. We want to fight every game for him and for the fans, to win the games.

On a personal level, how is it having a coach that speaks your mother tongue?

He knows I can score goals, he gives me a lot of confidence and he talks with me a lot. Whilst I can understand French, it makes it easier in training, because he can explain to me even better in Dutch and then I know exactly what to do. I don’t even have to think, I just know.

The turning point came in a 3-0 win against PSG. Despite a difficult run leading up to the fixture against the league leaders, how was the atmosphere within the group?

Before PSG, the dynamic within the team was already good, but of course if you beat PSG 3-0, it’s going to do a lot of good to your confidence. On top of that, PSG is the best team in the league. We already knew how good we were, we just needed a game to confirm that, and PSG was that game.

Since that victory, Monaco have strung together another six wins, amounting to a seven-game winning streak, their best since January/February 2021. The team is clearly high on confidence, whilst you have scored three goals in your last six fixtures. How confident are you at the moment?

The confidence in taking the next chance is something that I also had in Holland so I had to rediscover that. At the beginning of my time here I got overly frustrated with myself when I missed a chance, whereas now I just think, “okay, you missed this one, but the next one is going in, and if you miss the next one then the one after that is going in”. This season has taught me a lot. I also talk with the right people and they give me extra confidence to refind myself. Now I just want to continue to score goals and I hope that I can do that.

Of course, the hope is that Monaco’s run takes them into next season’s Champions League. Is that a dream of yours to play in that competition?

The Champions League is where the best teams are, and of course you want to compete with the best. I think with the history that Monaco has, we should be playing in the Champions League. It is a dream for all of us, and I know that we can do it. Of course, we have three finals so we’re not there yet. For us, it’s important just to keep doing the same things that we have been doing, by not thinking about the table. We just have to win our games, and we do that by being ourselves.

And then there is also the World Cup at the end of the year…

It’s a dream to go to the World Cup for sure. But at this point I just want to continue here like I’ve been doing. For me, the Dutch squad is currently far away, but I think everything is possible. So, I just have to continue, end the season well, and then from the first minute of next season, I have to do the same.

Boadu is only just hitting his stride at Monaco, and should he continue down the same path, there is no reason for him not to force his way into Louis Van Gaal’s plans, whilst his dream of playing Champions League football next year remains very much alive.

 

 

 

Photo by AS Monaco

 

 

AS Monaco enters into partnership with NFT agency

by: Luke Entwistle
01/04/2022

AS Monaco became the first club in Ligue 1 to step into the metaverse by signing a partnership with Capital Block, a move designed to strengthen its NFT strategy.

Having dipped their feet in the NFT water back in August through their partnership with Sorare, AS Monaco have now gone a step further and, in doing so, become the first Ligue 1 club to collaborate with an NFT consulting agency. They are also one of the first to do so in European football.

Capital Block will help the club with their NFT strategy as it traverses a novel industry, which football clubs are only just starting to engage in. Principally, it will advise ASM on the creation and launch of its NFTs, as well as which NFT platforms to partner with.

The partnership will also bring something new to AS Monaco fans, or at least those engaged in the NFT community, as plans for exclusive products and experiences are already being drawn up.

In a press release from the club, Vice-President Oleg Petrov said, “We are pleased to launch the partnership with Capital Block, which will enable AS Monaco to strengthen its positioning in the field of digital innovation and improve the possibilities for fans to connect with the club.”

Petrov added that the use of NFTs will be a big part of the club’s strategy going forward, highlighting the importance of the new partnership in reaching their goals. “Each passing day confirms the growing appeal of NFTs. Capital Block’s expertise will enable us to better understand this universe, to grasp the issues related to it and define a solid and sustainable strategy,” continued Petrov.

Tim Mangnall, CEO of Capital Block added, “We are delighted to be working with AS Monaco and we are really looking forward to hitting the ground running with the club.”

Mangnall says he is confident of what his company can bring to everyone around the club: “We are really excited that football clubs across Europe are starting to realise the importance of an NFT strategy, and those that do, will benefit in many ways, as will their fans.”