This Sunday at 9pm (CET) Paris Saint-Germain (1st) will face Paris FC (11th) at the Stade Jean Bouin as part of the 34th matchday of Ligue 1 2025-2026. In a press conference, PFC coach Antoine Kombouaré spoke about this match and their Parisian opponent.
Kombouaré: “I’m the PFC coach, a PSG supporter before and after the match”
“I’m the PFC coach, a PSG supporter before and after the match, but during the game, I’ll only have one desire: to win,” the coach stated at a press conference this Friday. “On the pitch, I don’t see PSG giving us any gifts, and we won’t do the same for them. We’ll try not to lose against the best team in the world. As the minutes tick by, we might be able to become a little more ambitious, but we’ll have to stay calm,” he added. “They’re reaching their peak at the end of the season, when many teams are tired, while they’re gaining momentum.”
Kombouaré: “I admire Luis Enrique’s work”
“I admire Luis Enrique’s work. But we’re going to field the best team,” Antoine Kombouaré insisted. “We’re lucky to be playing this match with relatively little at stake because we’ve already secured our place in Ligue 1 (Paris FC are 11th), and we have the chance to play the champions. I don’t want to get thrashed. I’m not saying we’re going to win, but we’ll do everything we can. PSG are superior,” Antoine Kombouaré reminded everyone. “We’ll have to be efficient, we’ll have to play a great match if we want to hope for a good result. We’re happy with the work we’ve done, but it’s not over yet,” he said, as reported by Le Parisien.
The match has all the makings of a gala event for Paris FC, who have secured their place in Ligue 1 and are facing the league leaders on the final day of the season. But Antoine Kombouaré was quick to remind everyone that the occasion shouldn’t turn his team into mere spectators at the Paris Saint-Germain celebration.
A PSG supporter before and after the match, the manager primarily wants to see his team perform for 90 minutes, with seriousness, composure, and efficiency. His comment about the “spanking” speaks volumes: he respects Parisian superiority but rejects the idea of a foregone conclusion. At the same time, his tribute to Luis Enrique underscores the Spaniard’s prominent place in the French football scene, with a team that is still coming into its own when others are struggling.
This discourse also gives the derby a particular character: a match without animosity, but not without stakes. Paris FC can look for a respectable exit, while PSG will have the opportunity to demonstrate its seriousness to the very end. A gala match, yes, but not a courtesy call.
