This Saturday, Paris Saint-Germain and Lens women’s teams will face each other at the Stade Bollaert (live on Canal+Foot) at 9 p.m. CET in the opening match of the 2025-2026 Première Ligue Arkéma season. PSG coach Paulo César spoke at a press conference on the eve of the game, outlining his football philosophy and announcing the team’s new captain: left-back Sakina Karchaoui (29 years old).
Paulo César: “Playing attacking football.”
“Tactically, we want to play attacking football. But we have several systems in place, with either a three- or four-player defensive line, for example. We will analyze everything we do well and everything that can be improved, and we will share it all with the players so that everything goes smoothly on the pitch and they know their roles perfectly.”
Paulo César: “With her exemplary nature and everything she has represented at the club for years.”
On Karchaoui as captain:
“With her exemplary nature and everything she has represented at the club for years, it was something close to my heart. She is capable of taking on that role and respecting to the letter everything she must do as captain.
It was my decision to make, and I’m fortunate to have a leadership group of eight players, including Paula Dudek, Griedge Mbock, Jackie Groenen, and Katarzyna Kiedrzynek, to ensure everything runs smoothly.”
The message is clear: PSG want to produce attacking football and create chances. We already saw glimpses of this philosophy when Paulo César took charge late last season, replacing Olivier Echouafni. The hope, of course, is that he will successfully transmit this approach and that the team will display exciting football this year. It’s essential to bring back enjoyment—for both players and fans.
This will be with Karchaoui as captain, a perfectly understandable choice given her professionalism and leadership. Having joined PSG in 2021, she also brings valuable experience. We can only wish her great moments in this new role.
