Didn’t hesitate “for a second” when asked
©IMAGO
1. FC Kaiserslautern got off to a very good start to the second division season under coach Torsten Lieberknecht. New signing Paul Joly, who has found his way around very well, is partly responsible for this. At Transfermarkt, the attacking right-footer from France talks before the second division game at Karlsruher SC (Saturday, 1 p.m.) about transfer discussions while cycling, his dream of Germany and promotion to the Bundesliga, the feeling of being welcome and the passion on the Betze.
Transfer market: Mr. Joly, you signed with FCK shortly before the transfer deadline. How did this come about?
Paul Jolly: I went home to my family because I wasn’t in Auxerre’s squad (for the game against Nice; editor). I was cycling with my girlfriend when my advisor got in touch. He told me that Kaiserslautern wanted to talk to me via video chat as soon as possible. That happened that same evening and they presented their idea to me. The next day I had a conversation with head coach Torsten Lieberknecht. I was immediately interested. Two days later I went to sign. It happened very quickly, everything was sorted out within three or four days.
Transfer market: Why weren’t you part of the AJ squad?
Joly: I had already told Auxerre at the end of last season that I would like to change after five years there. The club agreed and signed two players for my position (Marvin Senaya and Lamine Sy; editor). I was aware of the situation. I didn’t take part in the preparatory games or the competitive games after the start of the season.
Transfer market: What were your favorite destinations when you decided to move?
Joly: To be honest, I always dreamed of playing in Germany. This league appealed to me. It is future-oriented, offers lots of opportunities, high-scoring games, etc. When Kaiserslautern approached me, I didn’t hesitate for a second. The project appealed to me immediately.
Transfer market: Didn’t you have any concerns about making the move from Ligue 1 to the 2nd Bundesliga?
Joly: My last year was pretty difficult. I played 26 league games, but only ten as a regular player and 16 as a substitute. At the beginning I was mentally a bit on the transfer market after a strong 2023/24 and then had a weak start to the season. In the fall I was also out for two months with an injury, and during that time the team played well, including Ki-Jana Hoever, who was brought in for my position. So I knew that I had to find a club that believed in me, with a coach who would count on me 100 percent so that I could play and have fun. Playing in the 2nd Bundesliga first and perhaps even having the opportunity to compete for the top places if the season goes well appealed to me.
FCK newcomer Joly on the feeling of being welcome
Transfer market: What other options did you have?
Joly: I had a few discussions with French clubs, but nothing came of it. They were only very short conversations. It could have worked out with some Swiss clubs, but for various reasons it didn’t. Ultimately, I’m very happy that the Kaiserslautern option arose. I think it’s the best option available to me in this transfer window.
Transfer market: You slipped straight into the starting eleven at FCK and impressed. How do you explain your rapid success?
Joly: I was immediately made to feel welcome here. The coach told me that he had 100 percent confidence in me and that I could show all my qualities in the league because he had watched a lot of videos and analyzed my profile. I’m a player who thrives on confidence and the game is very offensive. I see myself as an attacking full-back or wing-back who can play a lot of crosses and offensive passes. Therefore, the offensive style of play suits me very well, and statistically I am more successful in such a system.
Transfer market: How would you describe your strengths and weaknesses?
Joly: I would say that my strengths lie more in the offensive area. I can contribute a lot there in my position and be consistent. Plus, even though I give it my all, I can still do something better at the end of the game. I see room for improvement more on the defensive side, especially with my body alignment, which I’m working on.
Transfer market: Do you see yourself primarily as a defender or an attacker?
Joly: Well, I’m currently playing as a rail player. I think it’s a different position to that of a true full-back as I’m lucky enough to be covered by three centre-backs. This means I can move forward a lot more. But yes, of course I’m still a defender at heart and hate losing duels. This is still very important, even if the position has evolved in recent years. There used to be full-backs who were very strong defensively, but didn’t necessarily contribute offensively. Today, for example, there are – even among the world’s best – players like Jonathan Clauss, who is a full-back but contributes a lot to the offense with his great crosses and scores a lot of goals every season.
Paul Joly moved from Auxerre to 1. FC Kaiserslautern on loan and scored a strong five goals in five appearances
Transfer market: How did you get used to the club and the city?
Joly: First of all, the city really lives for football. There are around 100,000 residents, but almost 50,000 come to home games every weekend. That’s a real plus. It’s a great stadium with a really crazy atmosphere that I’ve never experienced before. At the beginning it was a bit complicated with the language. I don’t speak German and am still learning English. I had basic knowledge, but it wasn’t particularly good. But my teammates immediately made me feel welcome and told me that everyone would help me if I made mistakes. On the pitch, my feet did the talking instead of my mouth. (grins)
Transfer market: The Betze is shaking – that’s not an empty phrase. How would you describe the atmosphere?
Joly: In the short conversations I had with the sporting director and the chairman when I signed my contract, they told me that it was a stadium with a lot of passion and fans who love the club with all their hearts. Even before you’ve proven yourself, they expect you to show enormous ambition and fight hard on the pitch. It’s in my nature to give at least 200 percent in every game and I think that’s why I’m valued – and I can be quite happy with my performance. The stadium is always sold out in the 2nd league. This is incredible. We really have a twelfth guy that pushes us every weekend. I’ve always dreamed of becoming a footballer and playing in big stadiums and now I can say that’s exactly what I’m doing.
Transfer market: Tell us something about coach Lieberknecht.
Joly: He played for Kaiserslautern for many years himself, so you can feel that he is a real lover of the club and would give anything for him. I would say he has a great ability to convey his emotions and make the players really want to fight on the pitch. His instructions are very clear. He puts a lot of emphasis on will and the fact that you have to give everything beyond the game when you wear this jersey.
Transfer market: You have already indicated that FCK’s playing philosophy suits you – feel free to elaborate.
Joly: The game philosophy is German-influenced. So it’s all about attacking, gaining space, lots of crosses and shots on goal. As soon as an opportunity presents itself, we put the opponent under real pressure. In contrast to France, we concentrate less on possession of the ball, although we of course try to do that. The coach also wants to let players play, but he focuses much more on quick transitions and putting the opponent in danger as quickly and as early as possible.
Transfer market: How does the 2nd Bundesliga compare to Ligue 1 and Ligue 2?
Joly: I’ll compare them to France in general: we hold the ball a little less long, you take less time to pass left or right to create space. However, what surprised me from my first game was the intensity of the tackles and the running. Since you have less possession of the ball, you have to be extremely concentrated because the game moves very quickly – regardless of whether it is defensive or offensive. You don’t have much time to take a breather. It’s hard to say because it’s not the same game at all. A team like Kaiserslautern would have a place in Ligue 1.
Joly wants to go as high as possible with the FCK
Transfer market: What are your goals for this season?
Joly: When I had the conversation before signing, I was clearly told that we were aiming for the highest possible placement. There are some very good teams like Hannover and Schalke, big names who definitely want to get promoted. I think we can be part of it too. Kaiserslautern is still a pretty legendary team that played in the Bundesliga for many years and won championships. So I think it would be a dream for the fans, the city and German football in general if we were promoted.
Transfer market: Is it a dream or a goal?
Joly: At the moment we are looking at each game individually. We are four points behind the league leaders. In any case, my personal goal is to achieve promotion with this team. When I play, I want to play at the top.
In any case, I will do my best on the pitch so that the club wants to keep me.
Transfer market: What are your personal goals in Germany?
Joly: I really wanted to feel fulfilled, get a lot of playing time, have fun on the pitch, and that’s exactly what it’s like right now. So first of all, I personally want to have a great season, both defensively and offensively, help the team get promoted if possible, provide as many assists as possible, and why not score goals too?
Transfer market: They have signed a loan agreement and FCK has an option to buy. What is your tendency after two months at the club: Stay?
Joly: I’m not the one who sets all the parameters and at FCK we don’t talk publicly about the contents of the contract, they stay internal. In any case, I will do my best on the pitch so that the club wants to keep me, because it is a club where I feel comfortable and fulfilled. I want to show my qualities and at the end of the season we will see what happens next.
The interview was conducted in French by Joachim Durand (JoachimD).