“I hope to reach the France Espoirs team this season with my performances”

Foot Mercato: Currently, Utrecht is second in the Eredivisie and is having a great start to the season. You have a great importance in the results of your team, could you imagine having such a great start to the year?

The rest after this ad

Yoann Cathline: I didn't necessarily expect us to be second to be honest, but I knew the club was ambitious. Utrecht is prepared to play top 5 every year. The last two years, they finished in seventh place and wanted to do better this season, for the moment, we are starting well and we are positively surprised.

FM: You are currently five points behind PSV Eindhoven with a game in hand and you have only lost one game for nine wins in eleven games. The pace imposed is daunting and you still manage to keep up for the moment!

The rest after this ad

YC : it's impressive, especially since we have this match late against Ajax Amsterdam and we can go back a little. I don't necessarily look back, but we are close to Ajax and Feyenoord so we must continue to build on this good dynamic.

FM: Individually, things are also going well since you are a regular starter and you have 2 goals and 2 assists in 9 matches. Did you expect such a good debut, especially since you were injured when the championship resumed?

The rest after this ad

YC : I would like to be a little more prolific, but yes, I am meeting the expectations of the coach and the staff. They gave me a lot of confidence when I arrived and even before I joined Utrecht. I knew how to perform well from the start and I'm happy for that.

«I wasn't in the plans at Lorient, I wanted to play, I was able to show myself at Almere and I took a step forward by going to Utrecht.»

FM: Last year already, you were playing in the Eredivisie side of Almere, how do we go from playing for survival on a daily basis to playing for European places?

The rest after this ad

YC : it's a breath of fresh air, because we're not fighting for the same things, it's different. I had a great time with it, because that's what I wanted last year by competing at a higher level. I experience it very well and it has helped me in my progress. Playing in Almere last year was perfect for my progress. I knew I wasn't in the plans at Lorient, I wanted to play and I played at Almere. I was able to show myself and today I am in Utrecht, I feel good and I am playing at a higher level and I hope that will continue.

FM: you have been playing in the Netherlands for over a year, what do you think of the Dutch championship? What struck you the most?

YC : already the atmosphere, the stadiums are always full, whether small or big clubs. The supporters are present at all the matches and there is a real enthusiasm that is created around football. At the championship level, it is clear that it is more open than in France where it is more defensive. There are a few more spaces for attackers to express themselves. There are fewer teams playing with 3 or 5 defenders. It's a quality championship and there is a good level.

FM: Is it a championship that better suits your qualities?

YC : no I wouldn't say that, I think I can adapt to all championships, but it's just that there are more spaces so it offers more space to the attacking players, especially the wingers with more “one against one” to play or more depth to exploit. This is also why I wanted to take a step forward by joining a top team. From now on, I play in a team that plays possession. It's different for an attacker since he will have more balls to play. Last year in Almere, I knew that I had to get the majority of my chances individually. There, with a top team, I know that by being patient, I would have opportunities to score or provide an assist. It's a different approach.

FM: the fact of having “the right to make mistakes”, because another opportunity will come later allows you to have a different assimilation of the game…

YC : sometimes last season after matches, I thought too much about an opportunity that I only had once during the game. With Utrecht today it is completely different. I know that if I fail once, I might have another one later. This brings more confidence and also allows you to work on your patience during a match. With the experience I get each year, I also understand the tempo of matches better and continue to progress.

FM: Was acclimating to Dutch life easy for you?

YC : at the beginning of course, it's a big change. Last season, it was my first season abroad, I didn't find accommodation quickly, that didn't help me too much. Despite everything, I adapted well to the field and my lifestyle has not changed dramatically. I like to stay at home and I'm not the type to go out a lot, I watch films, I like the peace and quiet, it wasn't a big upheaval. At the club, the structures weren't really different from what I knew before. As for the language it was. So I don't speak Dutch at all, but on the other hand I had a very good base of English when I arrived in the Netherlands and that helped me a lot. In the group, we speak this language a lot and it really helped me. I get along well with my teammates, the staff, everyone, I enjoyed continuing to work on my English and it went well.

«I have to work on my game, be more unpredictable, because the opponents know there is danger on my side. I find it stimulating, because it proves that I am progressing and that I no longer go unnoticed.»

FM: Currently, you are on loan from Lorient to Utrecht until the end of the season, where do you see yourself playing next season?

YC : I can see myself continuing in Utrecht very well, I feel very good here. It's important in my progress, I feel in a few months that I have progressed and that I continue every day. Staying one more season at the same club wouldn't be bad. Since the start of my career, I have not had the opportunity to stay more than a year in the same club and I would like to experience that. At least, stay two years in the same club in order to have stability, especially since I feel very good here. I had performed with a bottom team so I knew that with a top team I could do even more. Having stability in Utrecht to perfect my skills would be a good thing.

FM: Has the outlook of your opponents changed during matches following your performances?

YC : I feel it in the last matches and at the end of last season. With the previous exercise and now playing at the top of the ranking, the teams are paying more attention to me. With more takes in twos, in threes. I have to work on my game, be more unpredictable, because they know there is danger on my side. I find it stimulating, because it proves that I am progressing and that I no longer go unnoticed. I'm happy about that. I'll have to bring new things to my game. I think I still have a lot of room for improvement in finishing. There are matches where I have good content and I come out aimless and I will have to correct that. I have already made progress in this area, but I can still improve.

FM: which player caught your eye in the Eredivisie?

YC : there are good players in this championship, some of whom have signed for big clubs, I think, notably Mats Wieffer who was at Feyenoord last year and who signed for Brighton. I thought he was an excellent midfielder.

FM: you're starting to get used to playing against high-level teams, is the next step for you to play in Europe?

YC : yes obviously, it’s a personal ambition. I know we are at the top of the table and it would be a great performance to secure the Champions League for next year. It would be another nice baptism for me and also a good thing for the club. It's a little more accessible than in past years, because there are three qualifying places now.

FM: Does a particular championship attract you for the future?

YC : the toughest championship is the Premier League, all the major championships speak to me, because I follow them closely, but if I have to choose one, it's the Premier League.

“I have no feedback in France on what I do in Utrecht. By fighting with Ajax Amsterdam, PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord, I hope it will give me more visibility!”

FM: and return to France, to Ligue 1?

YC : I'm more inclined to say to myself that if that happens, it would be good, but that it shouldn't be an end in itself. As a player I want to continue to progress through the ranks and play for the best clubs possible. If it's in Ligue 1 so much the better, because it will be in France and I'm French, but it's not an obsession for me.

FM: what do you remember from your season in Ligue 1 with Lorient

YC : it's incredible, because it was a historic start to the season for the club. It was a memorable experience in its entirety, playing against top teams, discovering world class players, I never thought I would be able to play against Messi in Ligue 1.

FM: what memories do you have of the French team? We remind you that you won the Maurice-Revello tournament in 2022 with the Bleuets…

YC : wearing the France jersey is a source of pride. You represent your people, France, in a competition and especially at the Toulon tournament where we won. It was an excellent experience.

FM: you are 22 years old and you are eligible for the Espoirs, do you keep the France U21 team in the back of your mind? Do you have any feedback in France on your performances?

YC : Obviously, having known the French U20 team, I know what it is to represent France and I hope to reach the French U21 team this season with my performances for Utrecht. On the other hand, for the moment, I have no feedback in France on what I am doing in Utrecht. By playing at the top of the table against Ajax Amsterdam, PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord, I hope that it will give me more visibility and I hope that I will be taken more seriously. This is why I have to continue to perform well with Utrecht to try to achieve this objective.

FM: Doesn't it scare you to have left the national fold by going abroad?

YC : to be honest, you definitely think about it when you're a competitor. We want to reach the French team when we are French, but when we think about it, we have to opt for the best project for our progress while remaining clear-minded about our level and the level we can achieve. If for our progress it is better to go abroad, we should not hesitate to go there.