Quentin Ndjantou, a 19-year-old forward/midfielder for Paris Saint-Germain, spoke to PSG’s media team following the team’s 3-0 friendly defeat against Mallorca this Wednesday at the Stade Son Moix.
Ndjantou: “Very happy to be back on the pitch with my teammates”
“I’m very happy to be back on the pitch with my teammates; it had been a long time. The feeling is coming back, and that goes for the whole group, too. It was a good first match despite the loss; we’ll move forward step by step. For me, it was important to jump straight back in with the squad at the start of the season.”
Ndjantou: “We’ll use this to build momentum.”
“We worked really well with the medical staff so I’d arrive ready for the restart. It was a somewhat tough first match, but we’re taking the positives from it. It was just the first game, and we’ll use it to build momentum.”
Of course, the team’s result is generally what matters most. However, this was just a friendly. In a match like this, the focus is primarily on the work being done, even though winning is always nicer. For Ndjantou, it also marked his return to match action following an injury sustained in late December. Naturally, it was a significant moment for him.
The academy graduate was able to use the opportunity to find his rhythm again, even if he wasn’t quite at his best—which was to be expected for a comeback match. Furthermore, this is the summer pre-season period, with the entire squad putting in heavy work to regain match fitness and build the stamina needed to last the whole season.
Ndjantou spoke of building momentum, a process that needs to continue over the coming weeks—both in training and in the next friendly match this Saturday against Manchester United. The competition then kicks off this Wednesday with the European Super Cup match against Aston Villa.
Of course, it will take time for the team to reach its peak; it won’t happen overnight. But we should already see some improvement. The return of the many players who were absent (11) yesterday will also be a boost.
