Paris Saint-Germain and Lens faced off this Sunday at the Stade Bollaert in Lens for the 2026 Trophée des Champions. The match ended in a 1-0 victory for Lens. After the game, Lens head coach Dino Toppmöller spoke to Ligue1+.
Toppmöller: “With this stadium, we can hurt anyone—any team.”
You relied on your core values; is that what mattered most tonight?
Yes, we knew before the match that it would be tough; we had to be prepared to suffer. PSG has incredible quality, with the players they have and a top-class coach. But I am very proud of what my team executed; with this stadium, we can hurt anyone—any team—and the mentality today was incredible. The atmosphere was amazing, too—thanks to all the fans. They really helped us. We are very happy with this win.
Are you discovering the magic of RC Lens and the Stade Bollaert?
Yes, but you can say whatever you want; you have to experience it. And we experienced it right from the first match—we won this trophy, a first for the club. With this atmosphere, we beat PSG.
Toppmöller: “Teams like PSG don’t really like chasing the ball.”
You mentioned your preparation. What was your game plan?
It started with our defensive phase. We wanted to control the midfield a bit; we know PSG well. We defined very clear roles for every player. It’s difficult when we have the ball because they press so well. I wanted us to press effectively because teams like PSG don’t really like chasing the ball. If we show real courage, we can achieve even more. I’m not going to criticize anything today; there have been quite a few changes in this squad. We did some things very well, but even though we won today, there are still areas we can improve.
Toppmöller: “I am very proud of this team; it was a powerful moment.”
Did you field a striker who plays on the shoulder of the defense to bypass the midfield?
Yes, that’s why we put Sima up front. He’s very strong and can hold up the ball, while the players operating in the pockets of space are even more technically gifted. It worked very well, though it’s a shame the red card changed the dynamic so much. We had to drop deeper, and we did that very well. We wanted to capitalize on transitions. I am very proud of this team; it was a powerful moment.
