Paris Saint-Germain and Paris FC faced each other this Monday at the Parc des Princes in the Round of 16 of the 2025–2026 Coupe de France. The match ended in a 1–0 victory for Paris FC. After the game, Stéphane Gilli, the coach of the winning side, spoke at a press conference. He highlighted his team’s strong performance and was asked about a possible rivalry with PSG.
Gilli: “We suffered in the last 10–15 minutes.”
“I had told the players that I was proud of what they had done but that I couldn’t be satisfied as a competitor, because we had lost. Tonight, I told them that I was proud and happy — with the result, with what they showed, with the team’s values — even though we suffered in the last 10 to 15 minutes.
We did a lot of video work, reviewing things we had analyzed that didn’t work very well, such as ball losses and a lack of technical accuracy. So I asked them to play a bit more, and that’s what we did. We built on what we had done well last week, because we showed some good things.”
Gilli: “There is no rivalry.”
“No. It may take seven, eight, nine years… Given where PSG are right now, it will take time for Paris FC to try to get closer to that level. So there is no rivalry. But I am proud of my players, the club, the management, the shareholders, and above all our supporters. Right now, I can’t talk about a rivalry, especially because of the standings and what this team has achieved over the past few years — the Champions League, winning almost every trophy… So there is no rivalry.”
It is easy to understand why Gilli is happy: he secured qualification for the Round of 16 of the Coupe de France after a particularly tough draw. Few truly believed the upset was possible. He had to give his players hope, prepare them to give everything against adversity, and count on a PSG side that was not at its best.
Luis Enrique’s team largely dominated the match, but lacked efficiency. That is where Paris FC excelled — and that should not be downplayed, as it is a fundamental part of football and often makes the difference between elimination and qualification.
However, Stéphane Gilli may be slightly overstating how much better his team performed compared to the Ligue 1 defeat. Paris FC suffered just as much, while PSG simply missed more chances. A small gift that Paris FC can happily accept.
This victory could add a bit of spice to the next derby, but it remains difficult to speak of a “true rivalry.” There is still too much of a gap between the two projects today — even if football always allows for surprises in a single match.
