Matthieu Epolo’s parents speak after his match at Beerschot: “Our son is the first to question himself after each match”

Installed right next door, his mother remembers that this bond was created during the guard’s youth. “Matthieu has always dreamed of playing at Sclessin, of defending the colors of Standard. Since he was little, he says that it is a unique stadium, with a magnificent atmosphere. Today, he greets the fans before and after a match. He always cares about them.”

Sunday afternoon, Matthieu Epolo’s parents received us for more than an hour in a coworking space located in the heart of Diegem. To tell us about a nineteen-year-old boy who has unleashed passions since his debut at the highest level last April.

His time on the bench

The five goals conceded on the Ghent pitch in the middle of November were too many. Even if he was only responsible for the last goal, Matthieu Epolo was the main victim of this slap. “He called me to tell me he wasn’t going to play the next match. I was down, but he told me straight away not to worry. His reaction helped me get back on my feet. quickly, because I understood that my son had become a man, that he was capable of managing his own problems with great maturity”explains his mother.

A few days after the match against Cercle, he received a surprise visit from his father. “I wanted to know how he felt. I told him that if he gave up, he would no longer find his place. Matthieu directly cited to me the example of several players of his generation who had not managed to to recover mentally from their relegation to the bench. He did not want to follow this trajectory. He went straight back to work and it paid off.

The support of his family allowed him to get through this ordeal. “Matthieu left home very early and has always been an independent person. We didn’t need to tell him what he should do, because he understood it well on his own. He is ambitious and he is aware that he will still have to endure such trials in the future”continues Martin, his brother, who plays in Blankenberge.

His match against Beerschot

Arnaud Bodart’s injury hastened his return. Powerless on Ricca’s goal against Louvain, he once again sparked controversy after a fist clearance which precipitated Genk’s qualification for the round of 16 of the Belgian Cup. He gave his answer last weekend. His six saves allowed Standard to snatch a point on the Beerschot pitch. “It’s perhaps his best match with the first team, but I also really liked his performance in Kortrijk”remembers his brother.

“I told him it would be a decisive match. Beerschot are a dangerous team, even if they are in last place in the standingscontinues his father. When he came out headfirst after four minutes of play, my son Malcolm told me he was sure that Matthieu was going to have a very good match. A few moments later, he flew magnificently off an opponent’s shot and that feeling was confirmed.”

His parents point to the trust that their child receives on the banks of the Meuse as a trigger, whether from Jean-François Gillet, who acts as a “godfather”, or the club, “who always knew how to take care of himself, even in the most difficult times. But no one in our family considers this great performance as revenge for the events of recent weeks”clarifies Christelle Epolo.

Critics

Matthieu Epolo can breathe easy: his stops in Kiel will allow him to have a quiet week. Since the start of the season, the goalkeeper has had to deal with criticism that is sometimes justified, sometimes harsh. “No one is unanimous. When a club decides to field a young player, it must accept that he makes one or another mistake. On Saturday, one of our children still told us that the goalkeeper position was particularly ungrateful, because if Matthieu had made a mistake in the last minutes, everyone would have forgotten his many parades”smiled his mother.

Many followers believe that the nineteen-year-old goalkeeper has already cost his team too many points. “In this case, you have to give me examples. Against Sint-Truiden? The referee canceled the goal and Standard won the match. In Ghent? It was already 4-0 and there were only a few minutes left to play. In my opinion, he only missed during the match in Anderlecht That weekend, other goalkeepers had made small mistakes, but in the media, we only talked about Matthieu. don’t have any idea”analyzes his father.

This missed performance during the Clasico particularly marked him. “After the match, I saw him sit on the coaching staff’s bench. He was dejected, as if he couldn’t digest what had just happened. He is always the first critic of his own matches, he is a very humble person, so I don’t understand why some people claim that he has a haughty attitude on the pitch. People perhaps confuse confidence, assurance and pretension.

His character

Christelle Epolo still believes that this passage on the bench could have “break” if he hadn’t shown great strength of character. This mental strength and his sense of work are often praised at the Standard. “He’s a hard worker.”said Ivan Leko again last Saturday.

Matthieu Epolo impressed at Beerschot and received a standing ovation from his supporters: “His numerous saves prove that he is a great goalkeeper”

His mother can only corroborate these words. “He was unhappy with his level of play in his first season in the Challenger Pro League. During the two winter bye weeks, he rested for three days and then returned to training. During the summer holidays, he did additional exercises in Sterrebeek. He was so tired that he fell asleep on the bus. Matthieu knows very well where he wants to arrive and he uses all the tools at his disposal to get there. Last year we had organized a Christmas meal with the whole family We were unwrapping all the presents, but he told us that he had to go to bed to be in shape for the training scheduled for the next day. This shows his desire to. succeed.”

According to his own parents, Matthieu Epolo is not a young person like the others. “He’s not a party animal. When he goes out, he only stays for an hour or two, then he goes home. On vacation, he makes sure to go with friends who are in the same state of mind than him. That is to say people who want to work and go to bed early.confirms his father.

His little brother, Malcolm

Matthieu Epolo is not the only representative of the family at Standard. His little brother, Malcolm, is considered a real hope for the club. “It’s been two years since Malcolm hasn’t played with young people in his age category because of his size. He sometimes has trouble understanding it. We can’t reassure him, but Matthieu takes care of it. wonder.”

A few months ago, he even said during an interview that his little brother was better than him. “That’s what Réginal Goreux also told us. We’ll see what the future holds for him, but I don’t think Malcolm is aware of that. He still considers football a hobby, even if he hopes to be able to become professional”continue Martin Epolo.

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The family dreams of seeing their last two children succeed one another between the Liège poles. This transfer of power would mean that Matthieu managed to establish himself for a few seasons at Sclessin and land a transfer abroad. “He feels good at Standard. Clubs are knocking on the door, but there’s no point in skipping steps”finishes his mother.