‘It will be good to have a breather’ – A much needed break for AS Monaco | OneFootball

The international break will provide some welcome relief for AS Monaco, not just for the players, but for everyone at the club. It has been a hectic few weeks at the Principality club. During the last international break, in October, Sébastien Pocognoli replaced Adi Hutter on the sideline. Since, the calendar has been unrelenting, with the UEFA Champions League games and five Ligue 1 games, including a midweek round of fixtures, in that time.

Following the 1-0 defeat to Paris FC just over a week ago, Monaco’s first loss at home in the league in 2025, Pocognoli said his side had “run out of steam”. It is a phrase that summarises their week as a whole. A first league loss at the Stade Louis II was followed by another just one week later, as RC Lens arrived at the Stade Louis II and won 4-1.

Monaco hampered by player unavailability

Results have turned and there are mitigating factors, in the eyes of CEO Thiago Scuro. “The sequence of games, the travelling has been very hard… not only for Monaco, but for French clubs in Europe […] the availability of players is forcing the manager to use the same players every game, and this is also part of the problem that we have, which we expect to be resolved after the international break,” said Scuro on Saturday in a mixed zone interview attended by Get French Football News.

Pocognoli is also looking forward to some rest. “Some players will have a breather. For my staff and I, it will be good to have a breather, too, for a few days, because since I arrived, we’ve been working vigorously,” said the Belgian on Saturday.

A swathe of returns, including Pogba

The international break, therefore, brings welcome respite for the Principality club. And upon the return of club football, things should look different. “So many key players will be back, and that will make us stronger,” added Scuro. 

Paul Pogba, Lamine Camara, Denis Zakaria, Eric Dier, Vanderson, and Lukas Hradecky are all expected upon the return from the international break, and Christian Mawissa could also return before the end of the month. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle – reporting from Monaco