French national team coach Didier Deschamps answered a number of questions put to him by Le Parisien newspaper in an interview published on Friday. The interview was an opportunity to give his views on the evolution of Paris Saint-Germain. He points out that PSG have changed a lot, but also that they are far from having achieved their objective.
Deschamps “Three weeks ago, we were wondering if they could qualify.”
“This team is different from those of previous years, even if that hasn’t stopped them from winning titles in the past. They’re a young team with a lot of strengths and qualities, even if they’ve struggled in the Champions League.
Three weeks ago, we were wondering whether they could qualify. PSG are one of a dozen clubs with the ambition of winning this competition. But of those 10, only one will win it. There’s the current form, which isn’t the same as in May. Paris has this ambition and we need everything we’ve got to achieve it.”
The Parisian project has evolved, and the “stars” have been put aside to focus on the team. However, there’s no question of stopping having great players. In fact, the opposite is true. The idea is for them to express themselves better. And that requires a solid base, a “real” team. Rather than thinking in terms of individuals.
Now we need to keep working in the right direction, with confidence and patience. As coach Luis Enrique says so well, winning the Champions League must be a goal, not an obsession. There’s hope for the Parisians, and it’s up to them to stay on the right track to make the project a success. That doesn’t mean winning everything straight away, although that would of course be excellent.
