Paris Saint-Germain faced Le Mans this Saturday at the Parc des Princes in Matchday 6 of the 2026-2027 Ligue 1 season. The match ended in a 3-1 victory for Paris. After the game, Le Mans coach Patrick Videira spoke to Ligue1+.
Videira: “I’m a bit disappointed.”
A frustrating defeat?
Yes, against this Paris Saint-Germain side—as you rightly put it—we’re frustrated because I feel that after scoring, we completely lost our shape. We lacked discipline; we could have utilized the width of the pitch better. We had chances, but—I don’t know if it was a sort of panic after the equalizer—that’s the aspect I’m a bit disappointed with.
Videira: “It was incredible.”
What was the game plan?
We know full well that PSG possesses great technical quality and loves to keep possession. They like to draw the opposition in—either out wide or centrally—to create opportunities for one-on-one situations on the opposite flank. We had worked on specific things, and I think we really could have done more with the width. Our technical execution wasn’t good enough.
Even under pressure—we know this well—when PSG pushes forward aggressively, it comes down to analyzing the situation and the space we might leave open. And today, we left too much space open. We were missing a few things, but then they brought on the “Four Musketeers”—it was incredible. I told Vitinha, “Easy, easy,” but he didn’t listen to me (laughs).
Videira: “He’s a great man.”
Did you really want to play wide to exploit the space in behind?
Yes, exactly; we needed to stretch them vertically to create space inside. But against a team like that, you need incredible efficiency and incredible technical quality, too.
How does it feel to have the opposing coach congratulate you?
You know, he is a great man; I told him that today—he is an inspiration to so many coaches. What he is achieving with PSG is extraordinary. I had hoped he would go on that winning run a bit later, but today we wish them the best, including for Wednesday’s Champions League match. Beyond being a coach, he is a great man, and I wanted to thank him; it really means a lot to me.
