The come-back of AS Monaco to the Champions League is a result of the policy at the football club since 2020. The Principality side has unfortunately missed out on participation in the lucrative main tournament twice in recent years due to an elimination in the preliminary round, and did not even qualify for European football at all last season due to a collapse of the team in the last month. It is not unjustified to say that the ‘Red Bull policy’ has brought the club where it belongs based on the past, with a delay of two years. The club management can now build on this success and lay the foundation for a few great years, as was the case ten years ago.
The relief as a result of this successful mission is therefore great. Chairman Rybolovlev, who has followed the team closely in recent months, came into the dressing room immediately after the victory at Montpellier to congratulate and thank the staff and the players. “It’s really important that we play in the Champions League again. I can only thank you because we all need this.”
Director Thiago Scuro was also very pleased in Montpellier; “I’m very happy to finish this complicated season by being 2nd, it’s been a long time. We’ve had our ups and downs. We are happy to write a new page in the history of ASM and I thank the president for his support throughout the season. It has been a long time since Monaco have shown such consistency in the league. I think Adi Hütter has done a great job leading this group of players. We showed our qualities. We have used a lot of players this season: experienced players, youngsters, and home-grown players from the Academy. They all had an impact on the pitch.”
Speaking about the season, the Brazilian, who joined the club a year ago, said; “It was a tough season, with lots of good and not-so-good moments. But my best memory remains the victory in Nice (3-2). For me that victory is the turning point of our season. After that match, we showed how strong we are. It made us stronger for the following games too. It is great to have been able to secure second place.”
Scuro said about the future of the club: “The idea is to continue to mix experience and youth. It’s the history of the club, its present, and in my opinion, its future. Young players are part of AS Monaco’s DNA, but having players to perform on the pitch is also essential. We will continue to work on the balance as we did last summer.”
Manager Adi Hütter was of course a satisfied man because he was able to fulfill the assignment that was set for him, unlike his predecessors Niko Kovac and Philippe Clement. “The objective has been achieved, congratulations to my team, I am proud of my players. I’ll be able to play in the group stage of the Champions League and that’s a big thing for me. I am proud of our qualification.”
Hütter has not participated in the main tournament of the Champions League before, because he was eliminated a few times with his teams (RB Salzburg and FC Basel) in the preliminary round. “It’s for me a big success as a coach and I can’t wait to be able to fight against the best teams in Europe.”
The Austrian manager also spoke out about the star of his team: Youssouf Fofana. “He is a key player for us, if we are in the Champions League, it is mainly thanks to him. He scored important goals. At the beginning of the season, he struggled a little. We have a good relationship, honest, he knows that sometimes he can do better. I don’t know what the future will bring and whether he will still play with us next season, but I am sure that if players leave there will also be new players. The club is ambitious and will not let anyone go just like that. But new players can also strengthen the current team and bring it to a higher level. I have every confidence in that. But first we finish this season, before I start working on the coming year.”
Featured image courtesy of AS Monaco: Director Thiago Scuro
