Paris Saint-Germain and Paris FC faced off this Sunday at the Stade Jean Bouin for Matchday 34 of the 2025-2026 Ligue 1 season. The match ended in a 2-1 defeat for PSG. After the game, PFC coach Antoine Kombouaré spoke at a press conference. He was understandably very proud of his players, while also acknowledging that they benefited from an opponent whose mind was more on their Champions League final against Arsenal on May 30th.
Kombouaré: “It’s incredible what we’re experiencing.”
Your thoughts on the winning goal?
I already felt we were close to victory. Scoring the second goal was great, but we had to hold onto the result. And of course, there’s a lot of pride. It’s incredible what we’re experiencing. I realize how lucky I am to coach this team, to see these lads never give up.
Today, they showed a lot of character, showed they wanted to at least get a draw. And then they were rewarded for their efforts. (…)
We saw the changes on the other side; it wasn’t the strongest PSG team anymore… They were managing the game a bit with the final in mind. And we, we pressed them where it hurts. We were able to force them into mistakes and score that second goal. Well done to the team, it’s a team victory. The team spirit is good. We’ve been rewarded.
Kombouaré: “They all already have their minds on the final.”
Luis Enrique was talking about his team not playing well. Do you agree?
I wouldn’t say that, but I think we deserved our victory. It’s never easy: the PSG players play with the desire to do things well, but they don’t want to get injured. They all already have their minds on the final.
Above all, we had to defend well, exploit the spaces, and take them on one-on-one. We forced them into mistakes, they had an average game, and we were at 100% of our potential. That was the key to winning.
Kombouaré: “Don’t get your hopes up, guys, seriously.”
Does this second victory for Paris FC against PSG in three matches mark the beginning of a sporting rivalry?
Don’t get your hopes up, guys, seriously (he laughs). Quite honestly, we’re dwarfs compared to PSG, I’m putting it in my own words, but that’s the truth. Of course, we’re capable of winning, but they’re going to be two-time European champions! “We at 100% and them at 50% would result in a 2-1 victory, but if they were at 100%, it wouldn’t even be a contest.
Kombouaré: ‘It’ll sting them.’
Can this defeat affect PSG?
I think it can only do them good. It’ll sting them; they’re proud and competitive. Tomorrow, they’ll have already moved on. They’re champions, and I sincerely hope they win this final. They have my support,” as reported by Le Parisien.
The PFC coach is quite right to emphasize the merit of his players, both in this match and throughout the season. Nothing has been easy; he arrived mid-season in a group that seemed destined for relegation to Ligue 2. It took character and solidarity to turn things around.
Kombouaré and his players have done very well in order to achieve important, and sometimes even remarkable, results. They deserve credit. Like this Sunday, even though PSG’s priority was clearly the latter. This was evident in Luis Enrique’s choice of coach. However, Enrique is still very annoyed by the lack of intensity shown by his players.
However, the Spaniard also admitted that he “can understand.” It was a match without any real stakes at the end of a very busy schedule for over a year. It’s not unusual that his team wasn’t at its best. The players were primarily concerned about avoiding injuries ahead of the Champions League final.
Kombouaré is right to keep this in mind to prevent journalists from getting carried away with the rivalry. The proximity of the two sides makes this match special, and the results this season have favored Paris FC (qualification in the Coupe de France, and one win each in Ligue 1). But we shouldn’t forget the context of yesterday’s victory. Was qualification for the cup a matter of luck?
However, Paris FC can certainly capitalize on this win to finish the season strong, while PSG is already focused on its final major challenge.
