PSG: I fight which way to go – Zsolt Lőw

PSG swept four trophies last season to close out a great year in 2020 (Photo: Imago Images)

“A year in ten words, can we go over the list and tell you what you heard first?”
– Sure, let’s cut it! He replied to our newspaper Zsolt Lőw, second coach of Paris Saint-Germain.

– Two thousand twenty?
– Once up, second down. It was as if we were sitting on a roller coaster.

– Coronavirus?
– That’s what I was thinking about the difficulties. My wife, Andi, gave birth to our third baby girl in June, so she became infected in her sixth month of pregnancy. The uncertainty was terrible, we did not know what effect the virus would have. Thank goodness Emily was born healthy. Unfortunately, the epidemic was defined this year, limiting us all. We were able to realize how privileged we were before his appearance, we lived freely, we were free to move. It was amazing to see how a virus can affect our daily lives. We are closing a very difficult year in this regard, I hope that two thousand twenty-one is no longer in the name of Covid. I only mentioned that I had fantastic experiences, but at times I felt like the virus was weaving a gray web around us.

– Champions League final?
– What an experience, so much pride! It hurt me to lose the game against Bayern Munich, but it was an incredible success that Paris Saint-Germain reached the final. The culmination of our work so far has been BL silver. In addition to the titles won in France, we were able to play a final in the top flight of European club football, which I think was a great feat. However, the gray net also appeared here: what we achieved, we could not celebrate with our fans. Our joy would have been complete if we had someone to share it with. We played the first act of the eighth final against Dortmund before eighty thousand pushers in Germany, there were no more spectators in the rematch … But we were glad that we finally had a chance to finish the Champions League, especially in light of the fact that that we made history with the final.

– Successes?
– I can only repeat myself, as a father of a family and a coach it is both a beautiful and productive year for me. As for football, we have an incredible season behind us, we have been able to lift four cups high. We can say that PSG advances year after year, but let’s be honest: Progress and performance are measured in results. We have won four of the five trophies that can be won, and we can be very proud of that.

Neymar’s game (right) is the key to success (Photo: AFP)

– Cargo?
– It was incredible! The number of matches did not increase compared to the previous ones, but due to the forced breakage caused by the virus, the rest time between matches was drastically reduced. Not to mention: after we played the eighth final of the BL in August, there was no way to relax, we immediately fell into the next season because the championship of France started … You can reconnect in a family circle, but it’s different if you can move in with your loved ones and again different if you have to sit at home between the four walls. It’s also refreshing for us to be able to spend precious hours with family and friends, but we’ve been forced to give this up in recent months. It was a difficult time, that’s the truth.

– Contract?
– The agreement reached two and a half years ago, as well as the head coach Thomas Tuchel, who attracted me to Paris, will be linked to PSG until next summer, and there has been no extension to date. Maybe it’s not a problem, because that way we have no choice but to focus on finishing this season as successfully as possible. We also try to make the most of this, although we do face significant concerns. The decisive players who left in the summer, we somehow tried to make up for the loss; Let’s say we don’t necessarily make it. And then I didn’t even talk about injuries … So it’s too early to talk about what summer brings. If our contract expires, the club is free to choose, as are we. I’m not worried because I had and still have promising opportunities. I’m sure I’m facing a summer of great decisions.

– Leader training?
– That’s what I just said … I’m fighting in which direction I should go, as soon as I want to clarify this issue. In recent months, I have come to realize that the head coach is sometimes relentlessly under a lot of pressure, with a considerable load. Even the players said they don’t envy Thomas … I have to think carefully about everything, including what I can handle, what our family can handle. You also have to wait to see what offers come to me, either for me or for Thomas. And let’s not forget my good relationship with Ralf Rangnick. At the moment, this story unfolds in several threads, where in the end we hit, I don’t even know.

– Selected?
– I am very happy with Péter Gulácsi’s performance! The resurgence of the European Championship and the group leadership in the Nations League is the result of a long process that began with the appearance of Sándor Csányi. Under his leadership, Hungarian football has undergone many changes and has made great strides in the field of infrastructure and professionalism. Pál Dárdai put the national team on an upward curve, Bernd Storck continued his work and then, after a short break, Marco Rossi achieved even greater success than expected. It is good to see that today’s national team is already capable of stable and balanced performance, daring and capable of playing football. Down with the hat in front of everyone

– Family?
– My all! If I felt that my career was detrimental to our lives, I would step back immediately. Summer events will also be affected. After all, I have to decide not as a single man, but as a father of three children. We can talk about victories, trophies, the Champions League final, I consider that the greatest success of my life is living in a happy family. Fate united me at a young age with a girl who has been with me for twenty-four years. Although my life is not easy, so is Andi’s and the children’s. We walked together through the heights and the depths, wherever fate threw us, we were there for each other. We have already lived in Budapest, Cottbus, Rostock, Sinsheim, Mainz, Salzburg and Paris, crossing the world together. That, in the meantime, I got to where my wife’s support was essential. And in the meantime, she received the gift of three beautiful and healthy girls – female parents understand when I say we have tremendous love. Jázmin faces dizzying obstacles at the age of twelve, lives in France as a native Hungarian speaker and attends a German school, he is one of the best students. Hanna started school in September, she is also very good. And Emily is six months old, and she’s lovely! If I bring my dear mother here too, five women will define my life. When I am overwhelmed, I turn to buying a male dog or male hamster to get at least two votes …

– Christmas?
– It will be strange. In recent years, we have traveled to a warmer field to relax, enjoy the sun and recharge. This year we will miss it, considering the regulations, Andi and I decided not to travel very far. However, we need a change of scenery, so we’re going home for a few days. We will be at home with the least possible risk, even here in France we have tried ourselves several times and we go home to eat. We haven’t seen our loved ones in a long time, and even if we can’t meet everyone we love, close family may still be together. It’s true, only from the 24th, because at nine o’clock last night we still have a game against Strasbourg, thank you very much to the league for not having to play on Christmas Eve … I can’t wait to kill my mother , it will be very good to be home after such a year. So, we are going to have a strange Christmas, but since we can be together, it is also beautiful.