Paris Saint-Germain and Le Havre faced off this Friday at the Stade Océane as part of the 9th matchday of the 2026-2027 Ligue 1 season. The encounter ended in a 1-5 victory for the Parisian side). Following the match, Le Havre head coach Didier Digard spoke at a press conference. Following the match, Le Havre manager Didier Digard spoke at a press conference about his team’s very difficult situation; they currently sit at the bottom of the league table, with 2 draws and 7 defeats.
Digard: “It looked like it was going to be a great evening, but that didn’t last long.”
“At 1-0, did you get the feeling that a sense of euphoria had set in?
It looked like it was going to be a great night, but that didn’t last long. It looked like a great night because the players were really diligent in following the game plan. And that goal was a reward for the work they had put in throughout the week. I’m not going to tear them apart. Yes, we conceded in a way we shouldn’t have, and we scored in the way we were supposed to. So, we just have to keep fighting—that’s all there is to it. It’s difficult, but we have no other choice.
Digard: ‘There is no other option but to take responsibility for this situation.’
Ahead of the match against Lorient, will you make it clear to your players that if things don’t take off on Sunday, there’s a real risk of a total collapse?
I believe it’s my duty—it would be a failure on my part not to do so. That’s why I’m starting now by saying that this is a high-pressure match, a high-stakes game, and we have to face it head-on. When you put yourself in a situation like this, you have to face it; otherwise, you’re a coward. So, I have to tell them—they need to understand. I include myself among those responsible for this situation. I’m not trying to absolve myself—not at all—but I need them to understand that there is no other choice but to take responsibility for this situation.
Obviously, there’s pressure; obviously, these kinds of matches are much harder to play if you lack character. But if you do have character, you’ll face the challenge and take responsibility for the situation you’ve gotten yourself into.”
There was, in fact, a moment of hope for Le Havre when they opened the scoring—though that joy proved short-lived. In any case, it was wise to remain measured, as Paris appeared highly focused and had already carved out several chances. It is hardly surprising to see PSG turn the match around, especially given that some of their players were in particularly fine form.
Nevertheless, the margin of defeat may be especially hard to swallow. Some of the goals conceded by Le Havre could arguably have been avoided—or, at the very least, the team could have made life more difficult for the Parisians. Yet, it is also incredibly challenging to summon the necessary reserves when you are sitting at the very bottom of the league table and facing a determined Paris side.
Even so, Digard was able to identify some positive spells, including the opportunities the team managed to create. They must build on these successes—and on the support of their fans—in an effort to turn things around. Nothing is decided yet, but it will clearly require a strong sense of character. Ultimately, as the coach himself put it in his own way, there is no other choice but to fight.
