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Editor's note - This interview with Baptiste Santamaria was conducted by Martin Mosnier for Eurosport France and has been translated and adapted by Pete Sharland for TNT Sports UK, it is presented here in Q&A format. Questions will be in italics.

At Rennes, you're an essential player, and once again an indisputable starter. And yet we don't hear much about you. You have the second highest winning percentage in the history of Stade Rennais for players with more than 100 appearances. How do you feel about this relative anonymity?

B.S.: I think that these statistics highlight my work. It's my position that means I'm not necessarily in the limelight, but the statistics speak for me... If I could score more goals or make more assists, maybe that wouldn't be the case. My role is a little more behind the scenes, and I have to ensure the team's balance, particularly in transitions. I'm in a slightly different position, but it's just as important as being a goalscorer or a passer.

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You were out of the starting XI a bit last autumn, how did you cope with that and how did you get through it?

B.S.: Mentally, you have to work on yourself. You have to question yourself, but the main reason I was a substitute was because the club had recruited a big name like [Nemanja] Matic. He's a great, great player. But that didn't call into question what I brought to the team, it's just that there was a name in front of me and I didn't have the opportunity to express myself. As time went on, they put me back on the pitch and we started to rack up wins. I don't know if it was by chance or not... (laughs).

What did you learn from Matic in particular?

B.S.: Off the pitch, we got on pretty well. I tried to learn from him because he's a name but at the same time he's not just a name. He's a very strong and very intelligent person. You could see that on the pitch and you could feel it. The thing that impressed me the most, and where I've made the most progress, is in my serenity. He's a very serene player, very calm with the ball, and that's one of his great strengths.

How would you rate Stade Rennais' season?

B.S.: Our season has been up and down. Rennes is a very good club that is continuing to make progress, but one that puts its faith in a lot of young players. They've got a lot of quality, but they're sometimes clumsy and that costs us a few points. But that's the point of learning. This is a club that deserves to be in the top six, but it will be up to us to do what it takes until the end to get there.

Rennes' French forward #7 Martin Terrier (R) and Rennes' French midfielder #8 Baptiste Santamaria celebrate their victory

What is this club, which has the resources and is recruiting, lacking if it is to establish itself for good in the top four?

B.S.: Consistency. This year, we've had periods where we've played 10 games in a row and others where we've faltered in five or six games. In terms of the league table, that's unforgivable. You can only blame that on youth, but the more mature we are, and the more experience we have, the less likely we are to prolong these periods of turbulence. Today, we are capable of the worst as well as the best.

Isn't Rennes also perhaps too nice a club, where the pressure isn't intense enough?

B.S.: No, not at all. The club's objective is very clear, it's always to go higher. We've been in Europe for six years in a row and we're still determined to keep the club in the European zone. It's up to us to be consistent, and this year we haven't been. The talent and qualities that we have at our disposal with the squad mean that we can still believe in it and believe in it right to the end.

You spoke of the youth of Stade Rennais. No one embodies it better than Desire Doue today. What do you think of his meteoric rise?

B.S.: He's a very talented player with a great sense of football. But he's still young (editor's note: 18). But he's a player who aspires to go to the biggest clubs. He's one of a kind: he likes to hit the ball but he's solid on his feet. Desire's technical, percussive and physical qualities are quite incredible. When he becomes more consistent, he'll be unplayable. For his age, he's the most gifted youngster I've seen in my career.

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And on the other side of the pitch, you have a 39-year-old guardian angel who continues to be your best life insurance policy, goalkeeper Steve Mandanda...

B.S.: Yes, it's crazy. Steve just turned 39, but he's still a great keeper. In our last few games, he hasn't had many chances to shine, but he's made the saves he needed to. That's what great goalkeepers are all about. He anticipates a lot, he has a lot of talent and I hope he's a long way from retirement.

You've played in Germany and France, what's the difference between the two leagues?

B.S.: The game is completely different. In France, it's very tactical. There's more control depending on the score. If a team is leading, they'll be cautious and try not to score. In Germany it's much less closed. Once you're ahead, you're always going to attack to try and score a fourth goal. It's really a box-to-box game and that's the big difference with France.

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Why did you leave a league where the French are so successful?

B.S.: It was the opportunity offered by Stade Rennais. At the time, I was 27 and I absolutely wanted to play in a European Cup. With Freiburg, it was just a matter of a few points until we got there. I liked it in Germany and I wanted to stay. But it was [former Rennes manager] Bruno Genesio's talk about playing in Europe and building the team around me that made me want to come to Stade Rennais.

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