YB goalkeeper Jean-Pierre Nsame before the Red Star finalissima: “I study the Bible on match day”

It doesn’t work that way, Loris Benito emphasized.
And he’s right. Once again that was completely inadequate. But we said that to our faces.

It wasn’t YB’s first poor performance this season.
No. There were some games where we had complete control. Maybe against Lucerne or Winterthur. But far too many performances were mixed.

Such achievements should not take place against the Serbs.
It is forbidden to act like this if we want to win.

But you are optimistic.
Clearly. We play at home. The stadium is full. And with a win, the matter is over. This is a unique opportunity.

How does YB enter this game?
It’s a final. Such as the home game against Maccabi Haifa. And in a final there is no option. Only one thing counts: victory!

The pressure is even greater.
It is, as we say in French, a pressure game. And that’s where experience, stability and emotions count. We can offer all that.

Maybe there will be many Serbs in the stadium.
I do not mind. Our fans will be ready for it. We must convert their energy into our own energy. Right from the warm-up. And we tackle them with high intensity on the field. And for us the match cannot start at five past nine. But at 9pm zero zero!

YB has never won in three games against Red Star.
Every series comes to an end.

Is it an advantage to know what to expect?
Clearly. We still remember the 2-2 draw in Belgrade. The strong phase after the break and the enormous suffering in the last fifteen minutes. But I also remember the 1-1 draw in Belgrade in 2019 that cost us the Champions League. The Serbs did everything they could to take time off the clock. We must also be prepared for that.

They played just 22 minutes in the four Champions League games this season.
That is not much. But I didn’t play in two of the four games.

That is certainly unsatisfactory for the current top scorer.
That is it. I would like to play more. I try to make the best of it. But there is no doubt that I cannot be satisfied. At thirty I still have it in my legs and in my heart!

But now Cedric Itten is out. So you automatically get more bets.
Believe me: I’m the first to be sad about Carlo. But he will still be with the team with his heart and his emotions. Now others must step into the breach.

Other? She!
This may be. I can’t put myself in the coach’s head. Mainly because for me it has no influence on how I prepare. I always do it as if I’m starting.

Often they were just jokers. But your average minutes per goal is still almost as good as last season.
That shows one thing: I have a certain regularity.

What will happen in the summer of 2024?
No idea. That is in the hands of my advisor. All I know is that my contract is up.

Is YB on phave you arrived?
Not yet.

What does that tell you?
Well, either you plan something else, that is, without me, or you wait until the last minute.

Do you want to stay?
You know how comfortable I feel here. But I’m open to everything and don’t slam doors.

Really for everything?
No not really. There are countries where I will never play football.

Why??
Because I cannot reconcile them with my ethical ideas.

That would be?
The Arab countries love Qatar. And Russia. I wouldn’t feel comfortable in any of these countries.

What will Jean-Pierre Nsame’s Champions League matchday look like?
There is a foothold in the morning. Then we go to the hotel. Theory and video. Lunch. Siesta. And then we go.

Lunch must be ready at half past twelve. So there are still about five hours to go before you leave for the stadium. That is a very long time. How do you get them through?
I read.

What at this moment?
Always the same book.

There’s probably only one thing to think about.
Precisely. The Bible. I have studied them for five years, trying to understand them. This helps me enormously. Being calm and stable as a person. I learn an incredible amount of things about myself. It is also easier to tolerate certain situations that are not favorable for you.

Did you manage to finish the book in those five years?
I’m more or less done with it, yes. But you read the Bible completely irregularly. It may take several days for a chapter to understand. You can read the Bible in a year. But then you certainly didn’t understand them.

We can only hope that you will gain the strength to score a very special goal.
Which?

Your first Champions League goal at the seventh attempt… after 137 others for YB.
I’m trying my best.