EXCLUSIVE | Gus Poyet rejects Cristiano Ronaldo’s jibe that Ligue 1 is worse than Saudi Pro League: ‘He forgot the games he wins easily!’ | OneFootball

Former FC Girondins de Bordeaux head coach Gus Poyet sat down with Get French Football News to discuss the UEFA Champions League final and the general landscape of French football amid a wave of players leaving for Saudi Arabia. 

Paris Saint-Germain have a chance to retain the Champions League tomorrow. Do you think they’ll do it? 

Yeah, I think it’s a tricky situation. After the semi-finals, I thought it was 60/40 [in favour of] Paris Saint-Germain. I thought the way Luis Enrique adapts to every single game, he changes little things, it was impressive. But after Arsenal won the Premier League, I think maybe it’s gone back to 50/50. I’m expecting something different from PSG. I don’t know what. And Arsenal have to maintain the consistency of being a difficult team to play against. It’s going to be a great final. 

Where do you think this game will be won and lost? 

I think in these types of games, it’s very little details. It could be as simple as an early goal or a genius moment of one of the special players. Especially because it’s Arsenal, I don’t see a 5-4, like the Bayern Munich semi-final. I think from my point of view as a coach, I’m really looking forward to seeing if Luis Enrique tries something [new], because the way he prepared the second leg against Bayern Munich, how they went man to man all over the pitch, and with Marquinhos playing on the right side and man mark players he thought were dangerous rather than in his normal position. It was very intelligent, and because they went through it worked. I don’t think people remember too much [about] the games in the finals. I don’t remember Chelsea against Bayern Munich [in 2012]. I remember the goals only. I don’t remember which one was the best team. I do remember the 3-3 between Milan and Liverpool, but that was because it was unique. 

Thinking more generally about French football, what have you made of Ligue 1 this season? 

I think the problem with Ligue 1 – and I follow it a lot because I was there with Bordeaux – is when they lost the TV rights. It’s been a problem for a few years. They are not able to compete, like when they could hold onto some very good players. They’re no longer able to hold them. And what I always say is if you have an identity, like Paris Saint-Germain and a coach that believes in that, you can lose one of the biggest players, like they lost Neymar, Messi, and company, and you still have the chance of creating a group of players that play in a certain way. They won the Champions League without the stars and are back in the final without the stars. 

Saying that, Paris Saint-Germain are the outsider. The rest of [Ligue 1] because they are in constant renovation, so it’s too much up and down. The best example is Marseille, so you think you have the coach who is going to maintain the consistency, you change again, and you change again. And that affects the level of the competition. I thought Lens had a great season, [and] Lille, for the level of the players, didn’t do too bad. But I watched plenty of games at the bottom, and there are too many mistakes, and there are too many easy goals conceded. And when you concede easy goals in football, you’re not going to win. 

Cristiano Ronaldo opened up a big debate in France a few years ago when he said that the Saudi Pro League was at a higher standard than Ligue 1. As someone who has managed in both, what do you think are the differences between the two leagues? 

I suppose Cristiano is referring to the four to six top teams in Saudi Arabia. I think the bottom seven cannot play in Ligue 1; they will go down before halfway through the season. He’s in one of the top teams, fair enough, they can compete [laughs], I was managing one of the bottom teams [Al-Khaleej]. My team in Bordeaux in 2018, compared to Al-Khaleej’s current team, with all respect, the difference is massive and in favour of Bordeaux. I cannot compare it with Al-Nassr, because I didn’t coach those players, but of the two teams I coached, the difference was massive. I don’t think one of the bottom seven of the Saudi league this last season could have beaten my Bordeaux, and we finished sixth [in Ligue 1]. 

Now, I understand that for the image of Saudi Arabian football, he cannot say the opposite. I don’t think the bottom six of the Saudi league can compete in the championship, I don’t. I don’t think so because the teams don’t play together; they’re 70 metres apart, attacking and defending. Attacking and defending! I repeat this is about the bottom [of the league]. I saw one game between Al-Taawoun and Al-Ahli, outstanding football game, an outstanding football game. And I mean it. Outstanding. Top level of football. And that’s what I think Cristiano refers to. He forgot the ones he wins easily! [Laughs] He probably forgot about them. 

We’re seeing more and more young French players move to Saudi Arabia, I’m thinking of Mohamed Kader Meité, Saïmon Bouabré, and Nathan Zézé. What impact is this having on the league, and how is the league shaping these players’ development? 

I think it’s a very, very good decision from the Saudi league. One of the things I wanted to change in my team, and the club was not 100% sure, was bringing down the average age of the team. My team, in the last year, more or less, used 18 players, and the average age of those players was 32 years old. My last game of the season against Al-Ahli was 31.1, and Al-Ahli was 24. That shows the teams that can bring young players and which ones cannot bring young players. I think the gap is getting bigger, which is something that I tried to address, [and] to convince the people at the club. Apparently, they weren’t too convinced because I’m not there and it’s a new coach! It’s ok, because I do think it was possible to make a change. Maybe they’ll do it, and I will be happy for them, because it means they listened to me or believed what I said. But it’s a great decision from the top teams to bring younger players. 

A final question on Bordeaux, it’s been a tragedy what’s happened to the club. What lessons do you think French football can learn from what has gone on at such a historic club? 

I think the situation is that there are too many people, in France or in the world, who think that buying a club is like buying – I don’t know – an umbrella. And people get together, and they make some financial purchases, bla, bla, bla, and they buy a club. And a football club is completely different from anything else you can buy, because there are things that you cannot control. For the ball to go in or out, you cannot control it. To be in the top division, you’re going to win so many millions because of TV rights, or not. And you can ask Southampton, [laughs], for an external situation that is not controlled by the club and is stopping you from going up, that can change the future of the club. 

Bordeaux were playing with fire. They changed owners two or three times in a row, and they were not able to bring stability to the club. And when you think you are too good to manage that size of club, football will show you the back door. I tried to help, I put my name forward, and tried to save them from relegation. It wasn’t about money; it was about caring because I care a lot about Bordeaux. But it was, of course, not in my hands, and it didn’t work, and it was sad. It was really sad because one of the things that impressed me the most was in the dressing room in Bordeaux, they had the numbers of the ex-players who wore the shirt. And when you read the names of the players that played for that club! I think you need to be very careful what number you pick! It was unbelievable. And for me? I was a coach, but I imagined if I were a player and I got a number and looked and saw, I’d think I’d have to play well here.  

Gus Poyet was speaking exclusively to GFFN on behalf of BetSelect.co.uk. 

GFFN | Nick Hartland