Day Three Diary: Papy Mendy
Bonjour, mes amis!
It’s been a good few days in Évian. Tough, but good. That is normal because that’s what happens in pre-season. It’s necessary if you want to make a good season. The sessions have been big, with a big intensity with the ball and without the ball. We’ve been running and working on possession with a lot of intensity. This is good work for us.
We have a game coming up against Scunthorpe and this is good because we’ve been training well in this camp. I think in this camp, we’ve created a good connection between ourselves, on and off the pitch. We are impatient to play our first game!
After the sessions and at lunch, I have been relaxing in my room. Me, Ricardo, Rachid and Youri have all been playing Uno – I win every time! It’s an easy card game for kids, and the loser gets their ears flicked. It’s funny, we’ve been enjoying ourselves and it’s good to chill.
I’ve already spent some time in France this summer. I went to Dubai for two weeks with my son Ayaan, and my wife, and one week in the Seychelles with my wife. After, I stayed in France to be ready for pre-season. I did some running, cycling, upper-body and lower-body work in the south in my city, Toulon. I still have a lot of friends and family there – my mother, brother and sister are all out there.
I miss my wife and son a lot, but this is the job. We have to enjoy our careers because in football, it’s very short, maybe 15 years. It’s a sacrifice, but it’s good.
Work will continue for us now. The 11-a-side games have been tough because it’s a big space to cover, but it’s good for our bodies and the connection between us.
À bientôt!
Papy.