Monaco coach Adi Hütter is aiming to reach the Champions League round of 16 with Denis Zakaria, Breel Embolo and Philipp Köhn. In an interview with blue Sport, Hütter talks about the Swiss trio at Monegasque.
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- AS Monaco face Benfica Lisbon away from home on Tuesday and must overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg in order to advance to the last 16 of the Champions League.
- Coach Adi Hütter will be without captain Denis Zakaria for the second leg (Tuesday, 21:00 live on blue Sport), who is suspended due to a yellow card.
- In an interview with blue Sport, Hütter explains why this is a weakening for Monegasque and what role the other two Swiss players, Breel Embolo and Philipp Köhn, play in the team.
Adi Hütter has been pulling the strings on the AS Monaco touchline since July 2023. One of the new head coach's first official acts at the time was to sign Denis Zakaria in August 2023.
"We spoke on the phone. He said he needed another coach who would give him confidence. And I said: Then you know where you have to go," Hütter recalls in an interview with blue Sport. After all, hardly anyone knows the midfielder as well as the successful coach.
Praise for Zakaria and Embolo
Hütter coached Zakaria at Young Boys almost 10 years ago. "The young Denis Zakaria didn't have it so good at YB at the age of 18. He often overslept. I had to punish him from time to time," says the Austrian, adding: "But he learned a lot from that. He's become a great player, a great person - in terms of personality, he's still the same Zakaria as back then. A good character."
Zakaria has been Hütter's captain since this season. Breel Embolo is a second Swiss player who is currently one of the team's mainstays. "He's definitely good for the team with his impact, his power and his experience," praises his coach.
However, the international striker still has room for improvement in terms of consistency. "He might lack concentration now and again and sometimes takes one or two games a little too lightly. But that's just a feeling. When you talk to him, it's different, of course," says Hütter and is convinced: "Now we're entering the decisive phase. He's a professional and knows exactly what he needs to do."
"Köhn is also an important part of our team"
Philipp Köhn, on the other hand, is having a tough time at the moment, having to make do with the reserve role in the Monegasque goal. "When it comes to Philipp Köhn, Radoslaw Majecki has the edge at the moment. But he is also an important part of our team."
However, only one of the Swiss trio is likely to feature in the second leg against Benfica Lisbon. Alongside Köhn, Zakaria will also only be a spectator. Because the 28-year-old picked up a caution in stoppage time in the first leg, he is suspended for the second match. Nevertheless, he believes Embolo and Co. can still turn things around: "It's only 0:1 - we can still do something in Lisbon."
