This Sunday, in Matchday 5 of the 2026-2027 Ligue 1 season, Paris Saint-Germain faced Olympique de Marseille at the Stade Vélodrome. Neal Maupay, the Marseille club’s 30-year-old striker, stopped in the mixed zone following Paris’s 2-1 victory.
Maupay: “It’s unfortunate, because the mindset and the quality are there.”
What did you think of the evening?
In terms of mindset, we can’t really fault ourselves. It’s been the same since the start of the season, but right now, it’s not enough. We put in the ingredients needed to hope for a result, but—once again—we aren’t fixing the mistakes we keep repeating. It’s unfortunate, because the mindset and the quality are there.
Does OM have too many limitations?
I don’t know; it’s early in the season. Personally, I see quality in the squad. We’re trying to build something with the coach. We’re all united—it shows on the pitch. Now, we need to pick up points. It’s a tough opening run of matches for us.
Maupay: “I should have scored.”
Do you blame yourself personally?
Obviously; I’m a striker. I want to score goals—it would have rewarded the team’s performance. I should have scored. It’s tough for me; I need to put those chances away. But I didn’t score; that’s just how it is.
Any positives to take away?
Of course; it’s happened to me before, and it will happen again. I’d love to be like Kane or Haaland and score 50 goals a season, but that’s the reality. It’s tough for me—for all of us—but we have to bounce back.
Maupay: “We fight, and we don’t give up.”
Has Bruno Genesio spoken to you? Could he be leaving?
He spoke to us, just as he does after every match and every day.
Is he downcast?
You’d have to ask him, but not at all. The coach is fighting, and we believe in his project. We’re right behind him—you can see that on the pitch. We’re fighting hard and not giving up. Today, it came down to chances we didn’t convert and a second ball situation we had discussed. Things just aren’t going our way.
Are you worried when you look at the standings?
It’s obviously not where we want to be. We’ve lost four league matches—five if you include Europe. We know that’s not good enough.
Maupay: “We can feel it, and we are grateful.”
We saw the connection with the fans; is it important that they are there?
Of course. Since the start of the season, our fans have carried us through every match, despite the difficult results. It’s a bonus for us; we can feel it, and we are grateful. We would have liked to bring them some joy tonight. We’re going to try to make them proud.
Should the quality of the performance help you pick up points against other opponents?
We played against one of the best teams in the world—they are two-time European champions. But we’ve taken zero points from four games. The performance was good, sure, but we have objectives. We have to work; we can’t be satisfied. The only way to bounce back is to work hard and not give up.
Maupay: “We need to show humility. Grand ambitions have been scaled back.”
You’ve come here; do you own up to your missed chances? Do you have anything to prove?
I don’t have anything to prove; that’s football. When you score, you get the praise. When you don’t, you have to take responsibility. I have experience; it’s part of the job. My teammates know that—I would have liked to score. I should have scored. You have to face the challenges and move forward.
Do you have to accept OM’s situation and the pressure that comes with it?
We need to show humility. Grand ambitions have been scaled back. We played like a team that has to fight for points—which sometimes means having to absorb pressure. That’s what we’ll do; we don’t have any easy matches.
We’ve lost a huge number of players, and the situation is what it is. It’s up to the players who are here to raise our level of play. We’re here, and we have to show that we deserve to wear this shirt and that we have the quality to win.
Maupay: “I didn’t perform as well as I would have liked.”
Is it special to be back in the starting lineup at OM?
I’m here to help the team; I’m not complaining. I’m a hard worker; I’ll keep going to improve and help the team. I’ve played two matches in a row, but I didn’t perform as well as I would have liked. Starting tomorrow, I’ll get back to work—we’ll all get back to work—to keep moving forward.
