Villarreal is set to host Olympique de Marseille on Thursday, March 14, for the second leg of the Europa League round of 16. Ahead of this crucial encounter, Éric Bailly discussed his non-selection for CAN 2023 and his reunion with former Ivory Coast coach Jean-Louis Gasset during the press conference. The Ivorian holds no grudge against the French tactician with whom he had a conversation prior to the squad announcement.
« He didn’t deny me the chance to play in CAN. We had a conversation when I was going through a difficult time at Besiktas. I’ve always had a good relationship with the coach. I had a minor injury, and we made a wise decision. I changed clubs to prepare for the future. There were other players who were better prepared for this competition. The victory was magnificent. I know that feeling, having been crowned African champion in 2015. I was proud of what my teammates achieved, » responded the Yellow Submarine defender.
Bailly and his teammates face the uphill task of overturning a four-goal deficit to hope for qualification. They suffered a heavy defeat (4-0) at the Vélodrome. « After conceding four goals, everyone thinks we are already eliminated from this competition. But we have done similar things in the past, and you never know what can happen, » stated the former Manchester United player.
