Folarin Balogun: "It's important to work for the team" | OneFootball

The Monaco striker, who scored the only goal in the victory against Bodø/Glimt (0-1), was at a press conference on the eve of the match against Lens this Saturday (9:05 pm) at the Stade Louis-II.

He is currently in top form. He has scored three times in his last six matches with AS Monaco and Folarin Balogun recently scored a valuable goal in the Champions League by scoring the only goal of the win over Bodø/Glimt (0-1).On the eve of the match against Lens, for the 12th matchday of Ligue 1 (Saturday, 9:05 pm), the American striker discussed, among other things, his good form.🎙️

The early days of Sébastien Pocognoli

The arrival of a new coach is always difficult because there are a lot of changes and you have to adapt quickly. But I think that collectively, we’ve all listened to and put his ideas into practice. As I said, we appreciate his presence and we’re learning new things, new ways of playing football. He wants us to enjoy ourselves with the ball and dominate possession, while when we don’t have it, we really have to defend as a team. He talks to us a lot about cohesion and mutual support.

Sébastien Pocognoli is really good at motivating the players and talking to them individually. That's sometimes the advantage of a young coach who played football himself; he understands our point of view. He manages to motivate us, even in training, with a simple phrase that can provoke a reaction, a surge of fighting spirit.

Folarin BalogunOn the coach's motivational strengths

The coach’s recipe for success

Sébastien Pocognoli is really good at motivating the players and talking to them individually. That’s sometimes the advantage of a young coach who played football himself; he understands our point of view. He manages to motivate us, even in training, with a simple phrase that can provoke a reaction, a surge of fighting spirit. That’s clearly one of his greatest strengths.

On his physical condition

Physically, I feel good. It’s important to work for the team. The collective is essential, and it’s a long season. I believe everyone will have to support each other. There might be ups and downs, but the important thing is that we stick together and work as a team. This is my third season at Monaco, so I also have expectations of myself. I’m resolutely optimistic; these are the kinds of expectations you face when you join a big club.

His relationship with injuries

My injuries were a bit unlucky. They weren’t serious injuries, more like things that can happen in a contact sport. But generally speaking, I pay more attention to how I feel, I communicate more with the club, especially about travel and sleep. I’ve tried to improve in these areas. I’m not the kind of player who will hold back or avoid challenges to protect myself. You have to find a balance between pushing yourself to the limit and accepting that in this sport, injuries can happen.

They had a very good game on Tuesday. When your goalkeeper makes exceptional saves, it gives you the advantage, and that little stroke of luck is essential to keeping a clean sheet or winning matches. This isn't just true for Philipp, as Thilo and Sali, in particular, also demonstrated great professionalism.

Folarin BalogunOn the play of the defence

The recent play of Philipp Köhn

He had a very good game on Tuesday. When your goalkeeper makes exceptional saves, it gives you the advantage, and that little stroke of luck is essential to keeping a clean sheet or winning matches. This isn’t just true for Philipp, as Thilo and Sali, in particular, demonstrated great professionalism. They never used fatigue as an excuse despite the packed schedule and always gave 100% for the team.

The trip to Bodø

Before leaving, the coach warned us that it would be an extremely difficult place to go. We stayed there for three days; it was very cold, and night falls quickly in Norway. It was an experience many of us had never had before. We have a young team, and the coach prepared us well before our departure because, despite my experience, the environment was challenging.

Everyone needs to be united, not just the players but also the staff, and I really felt that we had excellent cohesion. It was an enriching experience that allows you to learn a lot about yourself and the team, and it can give you the energy you need to tackle the upcoming matches. The coach also stated after the defeat against Paris FC (0-1) that he would be closely observing our reaction in Bodø, and we did so positively.

I can't wait. Every time I play against Lens, it's a great match. They're a courageous team who love to attack with a lot of passion. Their fans always make the game difficult. It won't be an easy match, but I know that if we approach the game with the right attitude, we have the quality to win.

Folarin BalogunRegarding the match against RC Lens

On facing RC Lens

I can’t wait. Every time I play against Lens, it’s a great match. They’re a courageous team who love to attack with a lot of passion. Their fans always make the game difficult. It won’t be an easy match, but I know that if we approach the game with the right attitude, we have the quality to win.

AS Monaco’s Consistency

That’s what the coach wants us to focus on. He congratulated us right after our victory. Now he wants us to prepare for Lens. I think our objective as a team is also consistency. We want to dominate matches, and even if we’re playing every three or four days, that’s no excuse. We need to be consistent, and the next match offers us a great opportunity to achieve that before the international break.

Objective: World Cup

I think every player wants to stay healthy. As a footballer, you always want to be on the pitch, especially this year with the World Cup coming up. You want to take even better care of yourself and avoid preventable injuries. The most important thing is to arrive at the World Cup in good physical and mental condition, which starts with focusing on what you’re doing now with your club.

Mika is a great player. We saw that last season; he arrived mid-season and had a huge impact by scoring a lot of goals. I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. He’s still the same player with the same qualities. The season is long, he knows that, and the important thing is to keep fighting for the team. They often say that when you score one goal, the others follow, so I’m not worried about him at all.