Caio Henrique: "Finish the year well to build confidence" | OneFootball

AS Monaco's Brazilian defender spoke at a press conference two days before the French Cup round of 64 match against AJ Auxerre at the Stade Abbé-Deschamps (kick-off 2:45 PM).

One last challenge before the break. As they prepare to close the chapter on 2025, our Rouge et Blanc have one final match to play this Sunday (2:45 PM), with their entry into the Coupe de France. It is therefore before the Round of 64 match against AJ Auxerre from Burgundy that… Caio Henrique spoke in a pre-match press conference. 🎙️

On the loss to Marseille

Just after the match against Olympique de Marseille, we were obviously disappointed because in terms of performance, we played well against a strong team, and we created many chances, but that’s football, that’s how it is. Now, we’ve worked hard this week to win this Coupe de France match against Auxerre.

On the Coupe de France

It’s true that this competition is a goal for us. I played in the final against Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, during my first season here, and I hope a great journey begins for us on Sunday. This title is a dream for all the players, and I’m here to win trophies with AS Monaco, so yes, I would really love to win the Coupe de France. I hope we finish this season well, and the Coupe de France would be a wonderful gift for the fans!

It's very tough to play there; they have a good team and good players, so for me, it doesn't change our preparation. We're going there to win and put in a good performance because it's the last match of the year, and finishing it well would give us a lot of confidence to start 2026 strong against Lyon!

On AJ Auxerre

It’s not really different from the league, because we’re going to play against AJ Auxerre who are also a Ligue 1 team. It’s very tough to play there; they have a good team and good players, so for me, it doesn’t change our preparation. We’re going there to win and put in a good performance because it’s the last match of the year, and finishing it well would give us a lot of confidence to start 2026 strong against Lyon!

On what the coach asks of him

I’m very happy because I’ve played a lot of minutes this season. Sébastien Pocognoli talks to me a lot about what I can do to improve and help the team. Whether we play with a back three or a back four, it’s not a problem for me, and I’m very happy with that. Areas to improve on? This season I haven’t provided many assists, and setting up goals for the forwards is a challenge I’m working on. The coach tells me I need to cross the ball more with my left foot, and doing that is important to me. On the pitch, I try to do everything he asks of me. I try to give my all on the pitch; I play with passion in every training session and every match.

Aleksandr Golovin is my friend; we've been playing together for a long time. We're very close in the locker room, and he helps the younger players a lot. We're happy to play with Golo' here, and my relationship with him on the field is exceptional because we combine very often.

Second in assists behind Golovin

No I haven’t talked with Golo’ (smiles)! It’s primarily a personal goal to help the team and contribute as many goals as possible. As a left back, it’s more difficult to score, but I hope to do so soon because it’s been a while since my last goal (he smiles). Aleksandr Golovin? He’s my friend; we’ve been playing together for a long time. We’re very close in the locker room, and he helps the younger players a lot. We’re happy to play with Golo’ here, and my relationship with him on the field is exceptional because we combine very often.

Regarding the team’s defense

I think at the beginning of the season, we lacked a bit of focus across the defensive line. But the coach talks to us a lot, because he played in that position, so that helps. Personally, he gives me a lot of advice, especially during training. Sometimes, when the attacker has the ball, I might close down a little too quickly to reduce the space, and he tells me how to position myself correctly and defend properly. We’re going to continue working to improve this.

I try to give my all on the field, I play with passion in every training session and every match. I hope we'll finish the season strongly, and winning the Coupe de France would be a wonderful gift for the fans!

On Stanis Idumbo

Stanis is young and he’s a good guy! He hasn’t played many minutes with us yet, but he needs time to adapt because the Spanish league is completely different. He has to keep working hard, that’s how it is in football. In every match, whether you play 5, 10, or 15 minutes, you need to give it your all on the field. The coach pays close attention to that, the energy you bring to the team is the most important thing.