Pavard: I hope Marseille can participate in the Champions League and win the championship every year, and we must move in this direction

Marseille defender Pavard was interviewed. He talked about his decision to join Marseille, his views on the Velodrome Stadium and the fans, and his ambitions for the club.

Have you been here before?

No, I only saw it from a distance because I had already taken a walk in the Old Port. I saw the surrounding scenery but this was my first time coming in and it felt really good. Marseille, I knew it very early. There’s a fanatical atmosphere here and the fans always support the team in good times and bad. For me, as a footballer, playing in an atmosphere like this for Olympique Marseille is something I want to experience in my career.

Do you feel well integrated into the team? Do the fans accept you?

Yes, to be honest, from the first day, I received a very good welcome. Whether it’s staff, players, management, everyone. I immediately felt comfortable on this team. I think it showed in my performance and also in the collective because we got results. The atmosphere here is very good. I hope this continues and I have no worries about it. Because we have experienced players and some younger players, but they always think about the collective good.

Is this related to your personality that allows you to integrate so quickly?

No, to be honest, I am a person who easily integrates. Am I kidding? Yes, sometimes. I love joking, and we have a bunch of great jokers on the team. But on the court, we take things very seriously. When I came here I found it to be a good club, a family club. I've played for some big clubs (Bayern and Inter Milan) but that's not necessarily the case. I won’t say which club specifically (laughs). No, but I feel good and so does my wife and my parents; my family feels good and that’s super important to me. I think that can be felt on the pitch as well.

We fans would like to know, how do you feel about Tifo and the overall atmosphere in the North and South Stands? You have experience in Europe, with Bayern Munich and Inter Milan, and more recently at home against PSG and Ajax. On an emotional level, have you experienced the same feeling elsewhere as you did in Marseille?

Tifo, I really miss it because in Italy it is banned. When we walked onto the pitch, it was spectacular. You feel the rush, you watch them, and it puts you into the game even more, even though we were already very focused and excited. But it gives you more desire to win games and win every confrontation. When you're in the tunnel, you can already feel the atmosphere. You'll say to yourself, "Oh yes, the atmosphere here is amazing."

How do you feel about coming here? Have we, as people say, “painted the pie for you”? What do you think about everything we're trying to build, the fans, the stadium, the atmosphere and the quality of training?

To be honest, on the court, I expected this level. Because I'm a football fanatic, I watch a lot of games. You can even ask my wife. Sometimes she would say to me, "Turn off the TV" (laughing), because I watch every league, maybe Ligue 2 or the French National League.

So she would say to me "We have to spend some time together" and I said "Okay, baby". No, I'm a real fanatic. On the pitch, when I saw the signings, I said to myself, this is very interesting. You retain a good core group of players and then bring in very talented players, as well as experienced players like Nayef (Ageld) and Facundo (Facundo Medina). Aubameyang is also back. I won’t list them all. So, first of all, the core of players is very important and very strong.

Then, I discovered that this is a professional club, and the club has been developing since Medi (Benatia) came. I think he did a really, really good job. I know he never sleeps. He was always there, wanting to do more, more. People may not necessarily realize what he has done since taking office. If Marseille are in this position today, a lot of it is also down to him and his words to the players.

And everything he wanted to establish: nutrition, chefs, physiotherapists, doctors, everything. I feel like this is a growing club. Marseille's growth can also be felt on the pitch. My dream for Marseille is to play in the Champions League every year and win trophies. So, step by step, if we continue to move in this direction, we will achieve very good results.