This Saturday at 9:05pm (CET) Paris Saint-Germain (1st) will face Le Havre (13th) at the Stade Océane as part of the 24th matchday of Ligue 1 2025-2026. In a press conference, Le Havre coach Didier Digard spoke about this match and their Parisian opponent.
Digard: “Everyone’s getting their heads straight”
An update on the squad?
We lost Loïc Nego this week; he has a minor calf issue. After that, everyone else is back except for Abdou Touré, and they’re all in slightly different states. We have a very deep squad.
A difficult week? Were you able to explain the poor performance in Nantes?
No, it would have been very difficult. We have to focus on making sure it doesn’t happen again. It’s quite easy when we’re facing PSG right after. Everyone’s getting their heads straight; it’s a match the players want to play.
A good week of training?
Yes, the only difficulty is that we’re getting a lot of players back at different times. We have a very deep squad, which isn’t always easy to manage, but the team spirit has been good. Everyone is looking forward to this match with great enthusiasm.
Is it difficult to leave players out of the squad for the match?
That’s what I like least, which is why I prefer to have smaller squads so that everyone feels truly important to the group. It’s difficult when you’re not fully involved, that’s only human. But the team comes first, and there are choices to be made.
Digard: “Create a sense of unity rather than talking about the opponent.”
Are you particularly motivated to face PSG after the poor performance in Nantes?
Beyond the result, there’s a real desire to show a different side of ourselves. What hurt us was not doing that last weekend. We want to redeem ourselves, show something different, and do better. Afterwards, I was very critical, which is normal, but what’s crazy is that by missing our chance, it was a match we could have easily won. We’ll really progress when we manage not to lose these matches.
Did the match against PSG serve as a benchmark because you had some real problems?
No, we haven’t dwelled on it at all. A lot has happened. It’s a different dynamic for us, with a much larger squad. We’re focused on creating cohesion rather than talking about the opponent. We’re concentrating on ourselves.
Digard: “It’s Paris, always strong, stronger than the others.”
What do you take away from PSG’s recent matches?
I take away that Paris is Paris, that they can win on a single play. They’ve accustomed us to absolutely mind-blowing performances, but sometimes they’re a little less impressive, and there’s a level of expectation that makes it so. But in the end, they win. They get through these difficult times, with injuries, with victories. They consistently finish first in the league and qualify for the Champions League. That’s Paris, always strong, stronger than the others. They’re an example for all of France.
What are the keys?
First, we need to focus on ourselves, because it’s going to be a long road ahead against them. There are so many things to consider. We have to be convinced that we can achieve great things. We’ve focused on working on what we can do with the ball. Winning it back will be difficult, but then we have to make the most of it, believe in ourselves. We’ll have a packed stadium, which will be to our advantage, and we hope the fans can help us.
Digard: “That’s the most important thing, more than the opponent.”
Is the emotion of beating a top team in the league at home missing?
To put it simply, if we look back at my last few weeks, I’d never beaten Toulouse as a coach, and I’d never lost to Nantes. The only team left is PSG. Never two without three, so if I can keep the momentum going, I hope this is the opportunity to pull off a major upset. Beyond beating Paris, we need to get closer to our objective. That’s the most important thing, more than the opponent.
Does home form help overcome obstacles?
It’s important, but this is a really big challenge (smiles). Solidity brings confidence, and consistency is key too. We need to string together positive results, to go on a run. It’s always different at home; it doesn’t have the same feel, even with us fans there.
Digard: “It’s a completely different world. But we’re going to give it our all.”
Is PSG almost unbeatable, or more vulnerable than usual?
Well, we have to be realistic. Of course, I’d love to give you all hope and say we’re going to win. But Paris, even with injuries, is a completely different world. But we’re going to give it our all. We mustn’t let ourselves be swayed by the fact that some people say they’re not at their best. It would be a big mistake to think that.
They’re used to all this. They manage to be at the top of the league because they have a very large and united squad. And they want to experience winning again. It will be very difficult. Nevertheless, we have a very important objective, and we need to get points. We’re going to do everything we can to win this match.
