Robin Le Normand will play for the first time in France since leaving his country for the Royal Society, where he has progressed so much that he is even related to the French national team. The Breton defender admits that Monaco is a special match for him, but that what he mostly thinks about is winning to be leaders.
Question. How is the best LaLiga player in the month of October?
Answer. Very happy, proud and satisfied to represent the Real in this way. It is an individual award, but you have to be humble and know that they have given it to me because the team has performed very well and has been the leader in the standings. The club and I are in an incredible dynamic, with a title and two passes to Europe, with a great performance from everyone, and it shows outside.
I’m excited to play in France but, above all, to do it against a high-level team and to be able to win and be first
Q. Are we seeing its best version?
R. I do not know, what I know is that I am in a very good dynamic, I feel strong, I really want to play every week. And I also know that I think I can still improve in all facets of the game, that I still have room for improvement in tactical, technical and even physical matters.
P. From LaLiga it’s time to go to the Europa League and play in Monaco. It will be the first time I have done it in France with Real and internationally. Special?
R. I am very excited to play against a high-level team, which has played in the Champions League, and with great enthusiasm because I am going to play for the first time in France as a Real and First Division footballer. But, above that, there are three very important points for our future in Europe. In addition, Monaco is on the other side of France, so I don’t know if family and friends will be able to get close.
Going to the national team is a challenge. I’m working to improve, keep playing for Real and deserve to be called up
Q. You are going to play before thousands of French people being already a well-known player in your country, not like until recently, even with your name sounding as an option for the national team …
R. It is true that I have noticed more that I am better known, something that I take as a good sign, as a motivation to continue growing. And I have it in my head about going to the national team, as a challenge, something that would be incredible, a pride. I go out every day to train to improve with the Real, to make merits to continue playing as a starter in the Real and see if I become the player who deserves to be selected, but I don’t eat my head either. I know that everything happens through my performances at La Real and here I always go out to give it my all.
Q. You say you are working to progress and have done a lot since you renewed until 2024, in June 2020. Is there improvement and expansion in sight?
R. I am very happy in the day-to-day at Real, I am focused on what I have told you, on improving my performance to continue being important at Real and trying to reach the national team, but I try to stay out of the negotiations to my future, because I understand that it does not benefit me to be aware of it, and I have people I trust who deal with these issues.
P. Going back to sports, another lead is played in Monaco, this time the Europa League group.
R. That is why I am more focused on the value of the three points than on playing in my country. We are going to need to give our best version, to continue with the good dynamics and get it right to get the victory and take three very important points. We go to Monaco with the idea in our head of winning, to continue depending on ourselves and try to finish first in the group.
Monaco has enormous physical potential, also technical, and Ben Yedder will have to defend him very well
Q. I imagine Ligue 1 will continue. What would you highlight from Monaco?
R. I follow it, like LaLiga. It is a team with enormous physical potential, also very good at a technical level, that tries to play football well. We already saw in the first leg that they are a very difficult opponent, but I have a lot of confidence in us, we have already known how to win on difficult fields and we will see if we add one more. Play in my country? At the moment I have not thought about it, I’m fine here, happy.
P. In the first leg they got rid of Ben Yedder, but it does not seem that it will be like that this time, and it comes after scoring on Sunday in the League.
R. We have already seen him in many games and we know that he is a player of great technical quality, fast, who handles both feet very well. He is a striker who demands a lot from you and we will have to defend him well.
