When Laurent Blanc publicly named his Girondins de Bordeaux squad to face Galatasaray in the UEFA Cup on Thursday evening, there was an air of shock as French international Yoann Gourcuff’s name was not included. Blanc has stood by this decision on the eve of the match, explaining that the on-loan Milan star is simply exhausted.
“Yoann Gourcuff has been frequently used in recent weeks and over the course of the whole season,” Blanc explained to the club’s official website. “It had reached a point that he simply needed to be rested. I made a decision that was not easy. For a coach it’s never easy losing a good player but, physically and mentally, he needs a rest. This will allow him to reach his full potential until the end of the season.”
With the tie delicately poised at 0-0, Blanc rejected speculation that his side are not treating the competition seriously, but would concede that his priority remains the domestic league.
“My priority is Ligue 1 because, financially and economically, it is important to qualify for a competition like the Champions League,” he stated. “I can assure you that the team that is aligned against Galatasaray will do everything to qualify.
“The return leg will be very complicated. In the first game we played out a 0-0 draw. This result does not favour Bordeaux or Galatasaray.”
Galatasaray always prove to be inhospitable hosts, however, with the UEFA Cup final due to be played in Istanbul in May, there is an added incentive for newly appointed coach Bulent Korkmaz to guide his side through to the last 16, doubling the degree of difficulty for Blanc’s men.
“Yoann Gourcuff has been frequently used in recent weeks and over the course of the whole season,” Blanc explained to the club’s official website. “It had reached a point that he simply needed to be rested. I made a decision that was not easy. For a coach it’s never easy losing a good player but, physically and mentally, he needs a rest. This will allow him to reach his full potential until the end of the season.”
With the tie delicately poised at 0-0, Blanc rejected speculation that his side are not treating the competition seriously, but would concede that his priority remains the domestic league.
“My priority is Ligue 1 because, financially and economically, it is important to qualify for a competition like the Champions League,” he stated. “I can assure you that the team that is aligned against Galatasaray will do everything to qualify.
“The return leg will be very complicated. In the first game we played out a 0-0 draw. This result does not favour Bordeaux or Galatasaray.”
Galatasaray always prove to be inhospitable hosts, however, with the UEFA Cup final due to be played in Istanbul in May, there is an added incentive for newly appointed coach Bulent Korkmaz to guide his side through to the last 16, doubling the degree of difficulty for Blanc’s men.
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