Press conference: Statements from the captain of Olympique de Marseille before the match against Besiktas

His favorite position: “I feel good whatever position the coach puts me in. I do the work and I make myself available to the team, that’s important as a leader.”

Amir Murillo, formerly of OM and now at Besiktas: “He’s a player that I really like. We are very close, even with his children, we traveled together when we went to the selection. I like him. I miss him a lot.”

The atmosphere in Istanbul: “I heard that it’s incredible, a bit like Marseille. I'm eager to. Lots of respect for Besiktas. I hope it’s a big match.”

Different players in C3: “Everyone is ready, we all work well together and we all want to play and help the team. Player choices are up to the coach to make.”

The morale of the troops: “The Rennes match was hard at the end for me. I am very demanding of myself, I wanted to win for the team. But that's the past. This match at Besiktas will give us energy again. The Europa League is a competition that everyone wants to play. We worked well this week and we want to be very competitive. We must all continue together and keep our heads held high. At the moment, it’s a little difficult for everyone, but that’s what makes a family, when you get up and continue to work and play well.”

The disenchantment of certain supporters: “If you are a true OM supporter, there is no disenchantment. There are always difficult times, but we are all in this together. I want to tell the supporters that it’s going to be okay. We are going through a very difficult time but the group works very hard, we are 100% every day and something clicks. We will continue to work together, to push, we must stay like that, it is very important. I have a lot of love for the supporters, I feel the situation, but it is what it is. Today is a little difficult, but there is tomorrow. When the sun comes out, we will be happy.”

The match against Besiktas: “It will be a very high level match. Besiktas is one of the best Turkish clubs. I have a lot of former teammates who play here. High level players, quality players. But we also have quality players. We will try to start the tournament well.”

Dusan Vlahovic, his ex-teammate at Juventus: “We are very close, we lived in the same house in Italy. He's an incredible player. In front of goal, it’s very strong. I will do my job to defend well. He’s one of my best friends in football and I’m happy to see him.”

The captain’s armband: “I take this with great pride. My career has not been easy. I take this opportunity with a lot of love and I thank the coach, it’s incredible and I’m very grateful. I've wanted this my whole life. Having the armband in Marseille, in a complicated moment, makes me very happy, I have the opportunity to push the team to play well, work every day and show that we must continue, even in difficult times, to stay positive. When I arrived, the supporters welcomed me with open arms. I do the same with them. I am very proud to be captain today.”