Filipe Luis—the former left-back turned coach who joined AS Monaco this summer—spoke to RMC Sport on Wednesday evening. With his team currently sitting atop Ligue 1 with 13 points, the Brazilian dismissed the notion of challenging Paris Saint-Germain for the title (PSG are currently 6th with 8 points).
Filipe Luis: “We can’t compare ourselves to Paris.”
“We aren’t thinking about that. It’s not realistic. We know the reality of the club. I am ambitious—truly ambitious. But we have to take it one match at a time. We can’t compare ourselves to Paris. Paris has won the last two Champions Leagues. They aren’t just the best team in France over the last two seasons; they are the best team in the world.”
Filipe Luis had already expressed his admiration for PSG around the time of their match last September—a game Monaco won 2–1, albeit with a stroke of luck. The coach hasn’t changed his stance; he isn’t getting carried away by that success or the current standings. Of course, this is also about protecting his squad from overconfidence or excessive hype. They need to avoid losing their footing and struggling if a tougher spell arises.
Naturally, one must also acknowledge that Paris remains the clear favorite for the league title. While the results haven’t met expectations, the quality of play is there, and the squad is still well-equipped to string together victories. Monaco has strong assets—as do other teams—so the battle will be fierce. We still hope to see teams stay in the hunt and, more broadly, for clubs to work in the right direction to intensify the competition. Ultimately, PSG needs to win while proving Filipe Luis right.
