Every word of Renée’s pre-Lyon press conference | Press conference | News

Renée Slegers was back in front of the media for the first time after the April international break to look ahead to Sunday’s UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final at home to Lyon.

Our head coach was asked all about this weekend’s 3.30pm kick-off at Arsenal Stadium.

Here’s everything she had to say on the following subjects…

on how much confidence last season’s semi-finals against Lyon give us:
Last year was last year, this year is this year. The set-up of the competition has changed and a lot of things have changed since then. I think for us, for them, I think we still have the same identity. I think they have their style of play, we have our style of play. And yeah, coincidence or chance by chance, we’re in the exact same position again in the semi-final playing against each other, first at home at the Emirates and the second one away. But with that being said, that was last year, everything is different this year.

on the main things we learned from those games against them:
Yeah, I like to look at ourselves. I think what we’ve shown last year, both against Real Madrid and Lyon, was that we could turn it around when we needed to. So we showed some really strong mental resilience. I think this year, for example, if you look at the Chelsea games, the quarter-finals, it was the other way around. So it’s both very challenging. It is going to be challenging for both teams trying to win, getting to the final across two legs. It’s going to be challenging, but we embrace the challenge. We look forward to it. But yeah, like I said, everything will be different this time around.

on the availability of Catley and Mead:
No, they won’t be available. Steph is still recovering from her calf issue. So hopefully we’ll see her later on. Beth is not with us, hasn’t been with us this week because of personal reasons.

on how we’re preparing for the challenge of facing Lyon and their fast starts:
Yeah, of course, we played them twice last year. So exactly one year ago, we played them earlier stages in the Champions League. We know the extreme power that they possess. They’re very explosive, they’re very front-footed, so they’ll come at you quickly. I think we’re aware of that. So we face that three times now in a year, but we have to do it all over again. And I think absolutely there’s been learnings from those three games. If I look at the team back then, the team in, I think it was October, when we played Lyon and the team where we are now, I think we have so many tools that we’re possessing at the moment. I think it’s just two very different styles going against each other. And I have belief in the players finding solutions on the pitch against that. But of course, it’s two very strong teams going against each other with two different styles.

on Zinsberger’s departure at the end of this season:
Yeah, and of course, it’s always sad to see people go. It’s part of how things are being run in the football world with the type of contracts. So she’s meant so much for this club. I’ve only spent about three years working with her, I think. But she’s been here so much longer than me. And I think she’s been a big part of the achievements on the pitch, but definitely also everything that’s been achieved off the pitch. With the group, how she’s always supportive, how she brings so much energy to the group in training. Very vocal, always looking to lead the team, instruct the team, feed the team back. So it was a loss for us to lose her at the start of the season. And yeah, very unfortunate for her to miss out on playing for Arsenal this season. She’s doing really well in her rehab. She’s been on pitch now, so she’s making good steps. So she’ll be hopefully in a really good place for the future for herself. But yeah, it’s always sad to see people go.

on if getting over the hurdle last season makes it easier this time round:
I think what we’re really good at is being in the here and now and trying to impact the here and now as much as we can as individuals and then all together. I think we did that really well last year. That’s why I think that was a big part of achieving what we achieved. Being humble and respectful of opponents. Sometimes with the unknown and sometimes with the known. Dealing with those moments. I think that’s going to be a key area for this game, for this block that we have ahead of us. So the here and now and the here and now is going to be different. I think you’re constantly learning. As a team we go through different contexts, through different phases. We’re all putting those things into our backpack as a team. We grow with it and I think that’s what we’re doing. We have to earn it all over again. It was fantastic what we did and the way we did it. But it starts all over again. We start from zero and it’s going to be a different game.

on how difficult it is to maintain a high level of competitiveness with an evolving team:
I think the game is growing in general. I think it goes so fast and we’re trying to be one of the leaders with that, being proactive, keep on innovating, staying on top of things. That’s why I’m so happy I’m part of Arsenal because I think the club is doing so many good things. Off the pitch as well and we try to do it on the pitch. We are driving this, the game is growing and we want to be a big part of it, so we have to be constantly investing and looking forward. How can we tweak details? I often ask myself the question, ” Is it good enough, will it be good enough tomorrow? That’s what drives us and why I like to be at Arsenal so much because we have this mentality.

on if getting to semi-finals consistently can change the DNA of the club, in relation to Jose Mourinho’s quote about ‘football heritage’:
Now when you said Jose Mourinho I think I remember your question, otherwise I have a really bad memory! I want to believe that I’m in the here and now and look to the future or there’s something wrong with my brain, I’m not sure, but I have a really bad memory. Anyway, what we try to do and being in touch with the men’s side at times as well, my main contact is Albert (Stuivenberg), the assistant coach, but constantly trying to learn and I think learning from successes is important as well because I think there’s often a lot of focus on learning from losses and learning from failure but I think learning from success is so important and that’s what we’ve tried to do and we’ve had successful periods. What is it that made us successful and trying to understand that knowing that we can’t copy-paste it into the future but there’s certain things that we definitely can bring and I know how in the way they work they’re also very reflective and always looking for the details and the margins and it’s been really inspiring to be at this club with both the men’s team and us now getting far but you have to keep this mindset otherwise if you stop you’ll be mediocre so everyone has to keep on going. At the moment, of course, very proud to be part of Arsenal and both teams being in the semi-finals.

on what stood out from last season’s success that we can implement again:
I think definitely in my role I have some clear reflections on what things work well with the team, what things haven’t worked well so those I can just bin and we don’t do them again. But also I think what the team has been building is a lot of tools to attack different games in different ways. If we’re now looking at a phase of play that we train today on the pitch, there are so many different ways we can do it, we just have to find the right way in the right moment and I think that’s where we are now as a group which is great. So the players, with the qualities that we have, with their investment and engagement we’ve built a big library and that hopefully will help us here and now in the future.

on what’s changed about the way Blackstenius plays:
It gives me goosebumps talking about this here with Stina now because partly it brings me back to where I come from as well because I think the last year we played together was in 2016 and I think we’d been in the same team for four years. So that’s then 14 years ago and looking at where I am now I never, not a hair on my head, thought I would be here. So that’s great. But to Stina, it’s been special I think because I’ve seen Stina’s journey. You came to Linkoping when you were 16. You were still playing handball at the time I think. And really good at handball. You had to give up that career. And looking at you coming in there with a couple of other younger players trying to impact the team and learning so much still. We had a coach who did a lot of work with you guys. I think we had a really young team. A young team was being built. There was a lot of young players coming in and we built something there. And I think what’s so special is what Stina was then. I think we had one summer party at your mum’s lovely place down the water. Always very humble and not in the centre of attention. But just doing a lot of very important work for yourself and for others. And that’s still Stina now. It’s funny to talk about you whilst you sit next to me. We should have a coffee afterwards! Bring up some memories. But looking at where you are now, I think if you look at the steps that Stina’s made, you’ve played in the French League for Montpellier, back to Sweden, then to England to make that step and go abroad. And that’s a big challenge. Just as a human being, as a person going somewhere else. And Stina’s done that. And the way you’ve grown, the way Stina has grown in this environment. It’s unbelievable. And I think still very humble. But so well at presenting yourself in the right way. For the team always. You said ahead of the press conference about the language, I said ‘you’re going to be fine!’ So everything. Stina’s developed so much. And I think that says everything about Stina. Just wanting to grow all the time. And that’s why I think Stina’s such an important player for us. Because that’s the mentality and the culture that we want to create.

on if Lyon have a sense of revenge against us:
I think they are in their camp. And they’re trying to find the right way to attack this game. It’s going to be a high level game. With two teams finding their way. And that’s what we’re going to do. And I think what we are good at is just one moment at a time. And this moment is right now. And we’re going to try to impact that as well as we can. And prepare really well for this moment. So we go into the game with a lot of belief and a lot of tools. And that’s what we’re focusing on. So I don’t know what’s going through their heads. But I’m sure that both teams are going to be very much up for it. And wanting a spot in the final, of course.

on the influence of Aaron D’Antino, our assistant coach who is suspended for this game:
He’s loud! When Aaron is here, you’ll hear him. He brings so much energy to the team and so much detail to the team. So unfortunately, we won’t have him on the bench. But like I said, we have a very big and competent staff. So as it stands now, the plan is for Mel (Melissa Phillips) to be on the bench and playing the role that Aaron normally does. Because we are so aligned and we all work towards the game plan all together that shouldn’t impact the processes that we have. But yeah, Aaron, you might hear him from the stands!