Paris Saint-Germain and Brest faced off this Wednesday at the Parc des Princes as part of the Champions League 2024-2025 return play-offs. The match ended in a 7-0 Parisian victory (video highlights PSG/Brest,10-0 overall). After the match, Brest coach Eric Roy spoke at a press conference. He regretted the heavy defeat, but did not dismiss the positives.
Roy “that’s what will stay”.
“How do you feel after this heavy defeat?
We didn’t want to end our adventure this way. Unfortunately, they were superior, and we weren’t too successful either. With these teams, if you don’t have the footballing gods with you, it’s difficult. It’s a disappointment, given the high score, which hurts. But I want to remember my team’s magnificent run, and that’s what’s going to stay with me.
Roy “there’s still a lot to play for”.
Pierre Lees Melou talks about professional misconduct, do you agree? Will this defeat leave its mark?
Players are often emotional after matches, so I don’t share his analysis. After that, am I afraid of what’s to come? What’s important is what happens tomorrow. There’s going to be some decompression, but there are still some great things to play for.
We’re going to have to get up again, we have no other choice, get back to work and try to perform, that’s our life as top-level sportsmen and women. Sometimes you have to fall down, then get back up and keep going. That’s what’s important.” comments relayed by Ouest-France.
Of course, it’s a painful defeat, particularly because the gap between the two teams is so huge. Brest were completely outclassed and are out of the competition on this occasion. Perhaps the last Champions League match in the club’s history, or at least for a long time to come.
But it would be unfair and harmful for Brest to stop there. Instead, it’s important to remember that we’ve come a long way, and that we’ve done very well to qualify for the play-offs. It’s just bad luck to come up against a team like PSG, who are capable of “crushing” many other teams. It’s worth noting that PSV Eindhoven and Atlético Madrid, who are in the Round of 8, took more shots during the league phase than Paris.
In any case, Roy and his players need to pick themselves up and concentrate on the next stage. The coach is right to stress that there is still a lot to do this season. The European race is still a possibility in Ligue 1, and there are the quarter-finals of the Coupe de France. And this time, with a bit of luck, Brest has escaped PSG (it will be Dunkerque for the Brestois and Stade Briochin for the Parisians).
