Chelsea's Axel Disasi on Conference league, form and title race
11/12/2024
Cobham training centre, Surrey, UK
11/12/2024
Cobham training centre, Surrey, UK
Category
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SportsTranscript
00:00...as many as possible. Who would like to get us started?
00:03Nizal?
00:04Hi Axel, I wanted to ask, how does this season feel?
00:07Because it feels a bit special so far from Chelsea, I guess,
00:10maybe ahead of schedule and playing better than a lot of people imagined.
00:14From my perspective?
00:16Well, from your perspective and from the club's perspective.
00:18Yeah, we all know that it's going to be a tough season with a lot of games,
00:26but I think for the moment we did well.
00:30We have quality teams and we can see that we are first in the Conference League
00:38and second in the Premier League, so I hope we continue like that.
00:43Do you think Chelsea proved a lot of people wrong because they made it before the season
00:46and the top was a bit more negative but now it's so positive
00:49and do you think maybe Chelsea can win some big trophies this season?
00:53Yeah, we all know that this summer a lot of people were talking about the way
00:58that we were buying players and the amount of players,
01:04but when you see now, maybe we did it right because, as I said,
01:11we are at the top of both competitions, so let's keep going like this
01:18and see what we can win at the end of the season.
01:24Axel, good morning.
01:26You mentioned there about people at the beginning of the season saying that
01:29Chelsea had a squad of 50 or 60 players and were just buying players every week.
01:34Did you realise then that you would need the amount of squad you needed
01:39to be able to compete on two fronts?
01:42As a player, I think that we don't realise, but we have people here
01:48that have to think about it and when you see the result now,
01:55they did good because we can compete on both competitions
02:02and it's good to have this amount of players and to fight every day
02:10to win every game, so yeah, it's good.
02:13Players would love to play every game, that's what you do,
02:17but with the schedule you have right now, you almost have to be in one squad or the other.
02:24How does that sit as a player when sometimes you play and sometimes you don't play
02:29because you're going to play the game after?
02:31As you say, as a player, as a competitor, we like to play every game,
02:37but at the same time, sometimes you have to be clever.
02:40With a lot of games that we have, obviously we can't play every game
02:47because we have a big squad, so everyone has to take their chances.
02:53So that's why when you have the opportunity to play,
03:00you have to perform and show that you have quality.
03:05At this moment, again, we did well,
03:09even if sometimes we can feel as a player that we want to play every game,
03:14but it's not possible because a game like tomorrow,
03:19we will fly eight hours and we play again on Sunday.
03:23So we have to be clever and to think also about things like this.
03:28Funny for me, what's it like as a defender when you're playing
03:32and you look at the team that's ahead of you in terms of the attacking quality,
03:36the likes of Cole Palmer, Jadon Sancho, Manu Madueke, Nicholas Jackson?
03:42Is it good fun to play behind that sort of attacking quality?
03:47Yes, it's very nice to see them perform in this way.
03:53All of them are players with a lot of quality, with good skills,
03:59so we love to see players like this and see this from the back,
04:05obviously it's very nice.
04:08You're one of the more experienced players in this very young squad,
04:11which is probably even more younger with the introduction
04:13of many academy players for this game.
04:15As a leader in the squad, what advice do you give them
04:19and how do you welcome them into this first-team environment?
04:25What advice? I think they have to be themselves,
04:29just enjoy the moment and don't feel the pressure.
04:36I will be there to help us if they ask me some advice.
04:43I know maybe it's not the best game to start,
04:48because of the fly and the temperature there.
04:53But I think they have the quality to compete in this kind of game,
04:59and if they are here, it's because they have quality,
05:02so it will be good for them.
05:04You mentioned the long travel time and the temperature conditions.
05:07What is your message for the fans that are making that long trip
05:11to support the team?
05:13Obviously we appreciate this, because it's a long flight,
05:19and the temperature is crazy.
05:23But again, they show the love that they have for us,
05:29and as a player it's always a pleasure to feel this.
05:34Just thank you, and we'll try to do the best to say thank you.
05:43Is the team spirit among you all as good as it's been
05:48since you joined the club?
05:50It just seems like even though there's a big week team
05:53and a weekend team, that you're all together as a group.
05:57Yes, as a player, as a group, we are all together.
06:03As I say, we are a lot of quality players,
06:07and we have, let's say, a big squad,
06:11but in the dressing room you can see that everyone can fight for everyone.
06:17We are all friends, and I think that when you see in the league
06:22or in the conference league the atmosphere after each game,
06:27or in the dressing room when we put some video on the social network,
06:31I think that you can see that the team spirit is very well.
06:36How big a role has Loresca played in bringing that unity,
06:41and what kind of man-manager is he?
06:44I think his role is simple, he's just the head coach,
06:48so he has just to do his work and to keep the unity like this in the dressing room,
06:56and at this time he's very good like this.
06:58So when he makes his difficult decision,
07:02I've seen that he's spoken to you, for example,
07:05about perhaps not playing in the Premier League as much as you would like.
07:09How does he come across when he speaks to you?
07:13As I say, he just does his job,
07:18and we all want to play every game, conference league, Premier League,
07:23but as I tell you, we have to be clever,
07:27and he knows the situation, so he tries to do his best,
07:34and yeah, that's it.
07:37Paul?
07:38Hi, excellent.
07:39Going back a little bit to the Spurs game,
07:41but could you all believe that in that kind of situation
07:45Cole Palmer did an anchor penalty,
07:48and what more can you say about just how unfazed he looks
07:53and how cruel he seems to be?
07:56To be honest, I knew that he would do this penalty
08:01because I was on the bench with Keenan,
08:04and I told him that he would do this,
08:06because I remember last year he did the same.
08:09I don't remember which game, but he did the same.
08:12But yeah, now I think that since one year and a half,
08:17you all know the quality of Cole,
08:20and yeah, at this kind of moment he's a very chill guy,
08:26and I think also for you, for the fans, it's a good feeling,
08:33and it's very good to see a player perform like this,
08:37with a lot of quality, a lot of skills,
08:40and we are all happy with his performance here,
08:44and we hope that he will continue like this.
08:48Have you all been having a laugh with Marc Coquerea?
08:52Yeah, a little bit, but yeah,
08:56of course it was a little bit strange for him to have this,
09:02but at the end the team did the work,
09:06and it's just bad memories now.
09:09What do you think this group of players,
09:12you've talked about the big squad,
09:14and the fact that it's all coming together,
09:16do you think you need a trophy of some sort this season,
09:20just to show the progress?
09:23At this moment I think that we don't think like that,
09:27we just keep going on our way.
09:30As I say, we perform well, we play well, we win games,
09:34so we just want to keep this feeling.
09:37We work hard, and we have to stay humble also,
09:41because we have to see where we're from,
09:46and just stay humble and keep working,
09:51and we'll see how it goes.
09:54Last couple, Peter and then Jack.
09:57Just rounding that up,
10:00we've spoken about how the team are young,
10:03and everyone can see the potential,
10:05where do you think the team are now,
10:07and how many more levels do you think the team can improve?
10:12I think the team is on the good way.
10:18As I say, we know that the two last seasons
10:21were not the expectation from a club like Chelsea,
10:25and I think that now we are on the good way,
10:30but as I say, we don't think about the future,
10:34we just play game by game,
10:36and we'll see how it goes,
10:41but obviously we are all happy with the performance of the team now.
10:47We can feel also that the fans are very happy with the way that we perform,
10:52and hope we continue like this.
10:56Last one, Jack.
10:57Just looking at the game tomorrow,
10:59it's going to be about minus 11 degrees at kick-off.
11:02How much are you looking forward to that?
11:07I think I'll just have to put on gloves
11:09and be ready to compete in this condition,
11:13but we all know the conditions of these games.
11:18It's about eight tower flies and minus 11, you know.
11:23So I'll just download some movies to watch on the play,
11:30be ready, put on two gloves
11:34and compete in this game,
11:38because at the end we just have to know that it's a European game
11:45and we have to fight and keep this first place.
11:49OK, well, I'll do that. Thanks, everyone.
11:51Sorry?
11:52What movie?
11:53Ayrton Senna, on Netflix.
11:57The series, the mini-series.