Fran Garcia, Real Madrid’s 25-year-old left-back, spoke to FIFA about the Club World Cup semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain this Wednesday in New York (9pm CET, broadcast on DAZN). He underlined the quality of the Parisian team, while displaying ambition and confidence.
Garcia “This is a team that was a candidate for the world title right from the start.”
“PSG have already proved they’re a good team, in the Champions League [2024/25], but also in the league and the French Cup. This is a team that was a world title contender from the start.
I think that all our wingers have to be ready to slow down the PSG team, to make things difficult for them. And then, in the end, they too have to be wary of us. I think Madrid are still the better team. Now it’s up to us to prove it on the pitch and not just on paper.
I don’t think it’s really difficult for us [to think we’ll be world champions], given our daily lives in Madrid, where we’re always asked to give our best.
We need to stay focused to continue the development we’ve been talking about since the arrival of the coach [Xabi Alonso]. I think the work is there, that little by little we’re seeing this change in mentality.”
Fran Garcia can’t pretend, the Parisian team has great qualities and must be wary. It would be strange and rather negative to assert that Real will be at ease in this semi-final. Opponents are always to be respected, especially when they’ve just won everything, including the Champions League.
However, Real Madrid must always show ambition and aim for victory. That’s the obligation of all great clubs. Without forgetting humility, of course. On both sides, the players must be confident enough to believe in victory, while at the same time having the intelligence to recognize the opposition’s qualities. Not always an easy formula to find.
