Désiré Doué, the 21-year-old Paris Saint-Germain midfielder/forward, spoke at a press conference after being named Player of the Match by UEFA during PSG’s 2-1 victory over Aston Villa this Wednesday at the Red Bull Arena in Salzburg, in the 2026 UEFA Super Cup.
Doué: “It was important for us to win—just like a third Champions League title.”
Does tonight’s performance and the trophy encourage you to aim for the Champions League?
Yes, absolutely. We wanted to start strong. It was important for us to win—just like a third Champions League title. We have another trophy to play for on Sunday to keep the momentum going.
Doué: “It’s a real hatred.”
What is PSG’s problem with losing?
What do you mean by “problem”? (smiles) I don’t know if there are any teams that like losing. We don’t like it; we hate losing. It’s a real hatred. You can’t always win, but I hope we have as few defeats as possible. We’re going to work to avoid them.
Any words for the referee?
I want to congratulate him; I’m happy he was able to officiate this match, and I hope he gets to officiate in major competitions again.
Doué: “You always have to play to the whistle.”
Did you think you were offside for the goal?
At first, when I received the ball, the players stopped a bit and I did wonder, but I know you always have to play to the whistle just in case—so that’s what I did.
A favorite for the Ballon d’Or? Kvaratskhelia?
I don’t have an opinion on that; you’re better at that than I am. We’re back from the break, we wanted this trophy, and as for the Ballon d’Or—we’ll see who wins it.
