With Ligue 1 about to fall quiet for almost three weeks, Angers coach Stéphane Gilli is preparing for a break that may be far from restful. The shape of his squad during the international window will decide how much work SCO can do — and whether a second friendly can be arranged.
The move
Angers already have one development match scheduled against Paris Saint-Germain in Poissy on 30 September. Gilli said the fixture will give opportunities to highly rated academy prospects as well as first-team players who have had limited minutes.
The club no longer has a reserve side, making the PSG meeting an important part of maintaining match rhythm for players outside the regular Ligue 1 selection.
Gilli is also considering another friendly on either 2 or 3 October. No opponent has been confirmed, with Angers looking for a match close to home. The decision depends on the number of players called up by their national teams.
“We are waiting to see how many internationals we have before potentially arranging another game,” Gilli said. “We must not be left too short, but if we do not have too many players away, we hope to play. Nothing has been finalised.”
The French season around it
Gilli and his staff had begun planning for the unusual interruption almost from the start of the season. The coach said the early weeks had allowed them to assess his group’s working habits, intensity levels and physical load before setting out their programme.
The former Paris FC manager has prepared two versions of the schedule, with the availability of international players the key variable. Angers could be without as few as four or as many as 10 players during the break.
- Stéphane Gilli — Angers head coach
- Paris Saint-Germain — Angers’ development-match opponents on 30 September
“We have already prepared a Plan A and a Plan B,” Gilli said. “It depends on whether we have four internationals away or 10.”
