This Saturday at 5pm (CET) Paris Saint-Germain (1st) take on Angers (14th) Parc des Princes as part of the 28th day of Ligue 1 2024-2025. In a press conference, Carlens Arcus, the 28-year-old right-back from Angers, spoke about the match and the Parisian opponent. Despite PSG’s quality and the fact that their survival is in jeopardy, his thoughts are very positive.
Arcus “We’re not going there as losers”.
What can you expect when you play at Le Parc ?
First of all, it’s a great motivation to play against a team like that. Obviously, when you’re a professional player, you aspire to play against great teams like that, against great players. So it’s a great motivation, of course. There’s also the hope of catching them, of doing something good.
We know it’s going to be very tough out there, but we’re competitors, so we always go there with the idea of doing something positive. Whether it’s a good draw or a win. We’re not going there as losers. It’s a very motivating match.
Arcus “It’s a chance to progress and hope for something good.”
After 4 games without a win or a goal, with their survival in jeopardy, is it a bad time to face PSG ?
Not necessarily. Personally, I think that when you’re a competitor, you have to know how to cope. It’s the calendar, you can’t change it. We’re not going to avoid it. We’re not going to go there and say it’s a bad time.
That’s the beauty of life and soccer – there are no bad times. It’s a chance to progress and hope for something good. It’s another match that should give us hope for the future.
Arcus “we dream of playing against great players like that.”
No growing fear in this situation ?
We have to stay positive. We’ve done so many good things in the early part of the year, we can’t keep going like this. We’re human, and there are times when things don’t go so well. But we can’t let that stop us from looking forward and being positive.
We recovered well at the start of the year. I’m sure we’ll get off to a good start this weekend, and then we’ll be able to look ahead.
This will be your first time at the Parc des Princes, so how do you feel about the stadium and your possible direct rivals ?
Personally, it’s a great source of motivation. When you’re a kid from far away, you dream of playing against great players like that. I’m at a loss for words. It’s obvious that we have a lot of motivation and desire. I can’t wait to get out there and experience it. Our aim is to do something positive. It’s a very special match, and we have to play our hearts out.
Arcus “We know their qualities, we have to rely on ours.”
Any fears, given the number of goals PSG have scored recently ?
No (smile), not at all. Once again, we’re competitors. We’re not going out there with any negative ideas. All matches have their own physiognomy. We’ll have the idea of playing a great match there. There’s more desire and motivation to catch this great team. We know their qualities, and we have to rely on our own.
Arcus « Ce n’est que le début de cette belle équipe. »
Le PSG le plus fort que vous ayez vu ?
Je pense que oui. C’est une équipe qui a mis du temps à se mettre en route, avec sa philosophie. Cela reste une équipe en progression, mais qui a de très bonnes bases. Elle est différente des autres saisons, même s’il y avait de grands noms.
Il y a de très belles choses collectivement, une équipe qui fait les choses ensemble contre n’importe qui. C’était le cas aussi en Coupe de France, avec des efforts à la perte du ballon. Ce sont des bases de grands clubs, qui respectent l’adversaire. Cela montre que vous êtes sur la bonne voie. Ce n’est que le début de cette belle équipe.
Arcus “is a team that has a lot of respect for its opponents.”
What impresses you most ?
The team play, the ensemble. There’s no individualism, they do everything together. It’s really good principles. If they want to challenge the biggest clubs, that’s where it starts. That’s great for them.
Did you feel it in the first leg? Was there a suffocation ?
They’re a team with a lot of respect for their opponents. They’re not here to show off their name, they’re here on the pitch. They’re here to impose their game. There’s a big difference in means, but it all comes down to mentality. If all the players follow this principle, it will only be to their advantage.
Arcus “it’s also a challenge for us to be the first team to knock them off this season.”
Difficult to play against Barcola and Doué? Special preparation? Does it make you progress?
Yes, it’s special and it makes you progress. They’re two very different players. When you go from one to the other, you have to change quickly. One of them is more into dribbling and the other more into depth. That always helps you progress. It’s very special. It’s also a source of motivation, with the desire to show that you’re well prepared.
More study than for other matches ?
Above all, you have to prepare yourself mentally, in training, to face this kind of player. We see them play a lot, and we know them. We need to focus on ourselves and prepare well mentally. That’s what it’s going to come down to.
The title match for PSG ?
It’s a source of motivation for them, as is finishing the season unbeaten. But it’s also a challenge for us to be the first team to beat them this season. We’re going in with that mentality. We know that they can look down on us, but we’re going to concentrate on ourselves, be positive and take home the 3 points if we can. That’s what we need.
