Eirik Horneland, ASSE coach, expressed optimism at the dawn of his team’s return to League 2. He stressed the willingness to take revenge on last season, considered difficult, and the intensive preparation conducted since June to regain the best physical condition and a competitive team. Horneland highlighted the importance of this first game in Laval as a good opposition, highlighting the level of experience and cohesion of the local team. He hopes that the ASSE will live up to this meeting and that it will be able to demonstrate its domination over the other Ligue 2 teams.

The coach stressed the need for an acute awareness of the status of favourite, as each team will fight hard against the ASSE. He wants his team to take the initiative in attack, control the midfield and attack the repair surface with quality. Horneland mentioned the interest of the meeting against Cagliari, where the team showed a certain balance in its offensive approach despite the opposing resistance. He stressed the importance of concentration and maturity to overcome difficulties and return the score if the opponent scores first.

Horneland recognized similarities between the current situation of the ASSE and the situation he had encountered in Braann, where he had also taken charge of a team in difficulty. He stressed the importance of hard work and perseverance in improving the ranking and achieving positive results. He was convinced that the same approach that had worked in Braann would be the key to success in Saint-Étienne, and that daily work would be essential to achieving their objectives.