In an interview with RMC Sport, Lille manager Jocelyn Gourvennec notably reflected on the critical reactions he was subjected to on being named Christophe Galtier’s successor over the summer.
“Yes, I was being slaughtered and at the same time I was protecting myself from that, I didn’t want to play into the controvery, I never complained. I didn’t want to waste energy over nothing. I found it harsh but once you’ve made that assessment, you have to move forward and I got into a bubble in order to help Lille because that’s the mission I was entrusted with.”
“I never wanted to get into that debate, I had to prove myself and I think I’ve done so by respecting the club, the task I’ve been offered, the people at the club, and also the media because I’ve never shied away from those discussions. Nowadays, we’ve done some great things but the work isn’t over yet because we still have important things to do in Ligue 1 and in the Champions League. We have to go further, get people dreaming – we still have some great moments to experience.”