Reaction: Plenty to ponder for Pocognoli after AS Monaco’s tough loss vs Lyon

AS Monaco suffered a disappointing defeat to Olympique Lyonnais at the Stade Louis-II to open 2026. The loss was made worse by Mamadou Coulibaly’s second-half red card, which adds to the mounting personnel issues with many key players already unavailable throughout the squad.

It was therefore with a heap of regret that Monaco coach Sébastien Pocognoli fronted the press after the 1-3 beating. While on another night things could have been different for the Red and Whites, it just wasn’t to be, as they ultimately fell short.

Pocognoli’s frustration

Pocognoli reflected on his frustration following this defeat to Lyon, emphasising that while losses always sting, this one felt notably bitter due to the challenging circumstances his side faced.

“I always feel the same after a defeat, whether we’re far from the European places or on a good run of results. The taste is the same, but it’s even more bitter given the circumstances of the match, whether it’s the forced changes to the team or the decisions that went against us,” he lamented.

“The situation is therefore all the more frustrating, but as I said yesterday in the press conference, we’re going to take it one game at a time, and we’ll have to do that even more now with the suspensions and the new injuries. Nevertheless, we’ve shown that despite the setbacks, we’ve been able to maintain consistency, like tonight before the red card, so that’s what I’ll remember as well.”

Positives to extract

Despite the result, Pocognoli found positives in his team’s defensive organisation and mentality, particularly given the adversity they faced throughout the encounter.

“We may have been less attractive on the ball than against Marseille, but we were consistent in our game plan. We caused them problems with our structure, and Lyon barely created any chances apart from the corner we ourselves conceded in the first half,” he analysed.

“After the disallowed 2-1 goal, the game opened up in their favour. We were convincing in our off-the-ball work, that’s for sure, even if we didn’t create many chances. There was a good mentality and great selflessness across the board, given the circumstances, which is positive.”

Disallowed goal

When asked about his team’s disallowed goal, the 38-year-old was careful not to dwell on the controversy, but he acknowledged the irritation his players must feel after consecutive matches in which refereeing decisions have gone against them.

“Our general manager has already spoken about this; it’s an action that will certainly spark debate. After Marseille, we’ve once again dropped points due to refereeing decisions, but I won’t elaborate further. It’s especially damaging for the players because they played two solid matches against two good teams in the league without being rewarded for the work they put in during the week in situations beyond our control, and that’s very frustrating. There are things we can blame ourselves for today, but the turning point of the match wasn’t in our hands,” he insisted.

Mawissa and Hrádecký

Up next were updates on the condition of Christian Mawissa and Lukáš Hrádecký, and Pocognoli shared all he could about the injured players.

“We’ll know more by Monday when we’ve had the MRIs. They’re almost certainly muscle injuries, which adds to the disappointment of the evening. There are a lot of injuries; it was already the case when I arrived, and it’s continuing week after week. Is it due to the work that was done beforehand? I don’t know, but when you see players getting injured week after week, it raises questions, especially since the training sessions are well-balanced. There was some physical work to make up for, and this certainly leads to a lack of consistency and coherence in what we’re trying to implement,” commented the Belgian.

Under the spotlight

With Pocognoli facing a plethora of setbacks already since arriving in October, his measured response to dealing with it all made for intriguing reading.

“Honestly, before every match, I arrive with the feeling that the work has been done well during the week. After the match, I can tell you that the team executed what we wanted to put in place, there was a good mindset, and I don’t see a group that gives up in training,” Pocognoli asserted.

“Everyone is happy to come and train at the Performance Center, but they have to deal with refereeing decisions and injuries. There’s a lot of work being done every day, and changing certain things wouldn’t make a difference in my opinion. I just want us to be rewarded for our hard work at some point. We shouldn’t dwell too much on the negatives because positive things will come, but we need to stick together and analyse what’s working and what isn’t.”

Support

Lastly, he was quizzed on whether he feels he has the support and trust of the club’s leaders, to which he offered an insightful answer.

“Above all, I need to feel the fire that drives me, and it’s definitely there every day and in every match. I’m always behind my team, pushing them to their limits, even though we’re going through a difficult period, due in particular to things that are hard to control, although that’s not an excuse. I have the confidence of my players and my staff, and I think the fans saw a team that fought hard and played attractive football. Once again, Lyon didn’t dominate us, and it’s certain that we deserved much more,” declared the shrewd tactician.

Bounce back needed

Pocognoli and his team will now look forward to the chance to respond quickly in their Coupe de France clash vs US Orléans, which offers a fine opportunity to get back on track and progress in the competition, something that could be crucial to their European qualification hopes given things aren’t going too well in the league.