At a press conference in Angers, Louis Mouton, emotionally evoking his heart club, the ASSE, expressed the difficulty of his departure. He stressed the pain felt in the face of the team’s downhill, affecting both the Stéphanois fans and the players. Although he acknowledged that turning the page is a difficult process, he said he was well surrounded by Angers, highlighting the kindness of the city and its inhabitants. However, he wanted to salute the 11 or 12 years spent in Saint-Étienne, where he realized his dream of playing at Geoffroy-Guichard, and to affirm that he now wants to develop as a person, without necessarily being linked to a particular club. Angers’ choice offers him a new opportunity to make a place, where he will have to prove his qualities, far from the prejudices related to his Stéphanois formation.

Regarding the fight for the maintenance, Louis Mouton highlighted the opening of the championship this year, with many teams likely to fight for their survival. He stressed the importance of winning matches against direct competitors, a weakness that ASSE has not been able to overcome, unlike Angers. According to him, winning these crucial meetings will give them significant room for manoeuvre, and with some additional success, retention will be possible. He acknowledged that the lack of results against the teams in difficulty was a weakness of the ASSE, and that Angers demonstrated a better ability to get points in these situations.

Angers’ choice was partly explained by his desire to revive his career after the descent of the ASSE, which he felt was a missed opportunity. He wanted to take up a new challenge in Ligue 1, and the fact that Angers was already present in this division was a determining factor. He also noted that, although Saint-Étienne’s fans are incredibly fervored in times of success, Angers offers an environment that is more conducive to its development and play. He concluded by stressing that his passage to Angers, although necessary, is both an opportunity and a challenge.