TO Nabil Fekir (27 years old, Lyon) is passionate about challenges and has one pending in Heliopolis. French wants to be participant of a European banknote which would be central to the club's intention to give a qualitative leap and also for his future at Betis. The attacker, who improved his performance under the command of Manuel Pellegrini since January, looks to a future full of unknowns in which the challenge of playing the Eurocup is still very present.
-The team is very much alive in the fight for Europe. There are five days left …
We have always had the same goal, we have to qualify for the Europa League, there is a quality team, and I hope we will achieve it.
-Did you think about it at the beginning of the campaign? The template is almost the same …
We had that in mind. It was the goal from the beginning and we are close. It is the same team as last year, it is true, but there is a growth of many players, that makes the difference. Changes? The competitive issue is there, we are more confident that we can do it and we apply it in the field.
– Is Manuel Pellegrini to blame for this?
He brought his philosophy and his experience, he helped us all. When he gives us slogans, we listen to him. He talks a lot about my position with me, he gives me freedom and I do my best on the pitch.
-On the grass, try to ensure that Canales is also always close. Is your alliance with the Cantabrian especially simple?
It is true that we understand each other very well, it is very good technically. He is very easy to play with and is very important for the team.
-Are you happy here?
For now I am happy at Betis, we are going to do everything possible to go to Europe. It's what I think about now.
-And your future at Betis?
In football we can never know the future, we must look at season after season.
-Can getting a ticket to Europe influence?
It is always important to play in Europe. I was playing the Champions League and Europa League and I want to play there again.
-There is a lot of talk about the economic crisis that the club is going through … His name also appears in those candidates to leave the team.
It doesn't have to be that way. In all the clubs the economic situation is complicated now, at the end of the campaign we will see what happens.
-And meanwhile, it seems that there was a jump in quality personally compared to last year.
I think I took a step further, but I know that I can progress more, with work and with effort. I work hard in training to give my best version and that this is reflected on the field of play in games.
-There is a Eurocup in little more than a month and it was not present in the last call of France. Do you have that challenge also on the table of objectives?
Any player thinks about that, but I have other goals before that, like qualifying with Betis for the next Europa League.
– Do you think Didier Deschamps will count on you?
There is a very wide competition in the selection, I do not speak with Deschamps, but they are choices that you will have to make thinking about the best.
-Is it counterproductive in that sense that I play for a club that is not in Europe?
I do not think that influences that, when you call a player it is because he gives his best with his team and deserves to go to the national team, whatever club he plays for.