Paris Saint-Germain and Nice faced off this Saturday at the Parc des Princes in Matchday 11 of the 2025-2026 Ligue 1 season. The match ended in a 1-0 victory for PSG. After the game, Nice coach Franck Haise spoke at a press conference. He was understandably disappointed by the last-second defeat and defended his game plan, which was slightly criticized by PSG striker Gonçalo Ramos (24 years old) after the match.
Haise said, “It’s a bit hard to swallow…”
“We know these things happen, that in sports there are great moments of joy and others that are more cruel. Paris is better, we knew that before the match, but we defended well.” Conceding with five seconds left is a bit hard to swallow… We’ll have to get over it (…)
Beyond the goal we conceded, in terms of our defensive approach, we stuck to what we wanted to do. We need to protect the center, but also the flanks against Paris; I would have liked more precision, to play out from the back better. But it’s still a disappointment. We know Paris’s level, but it’s still a disappointment; I would have liked us to continue our unbeaten run.
Haise: “I can understand, he’d prefer to score four or five goals.”
The defensive plan that annoys the Parisians and Gonçalo Ramos?
I can understand, he’d prefer to score four or five goals (laughs). We work with what we have, our strengths. If we come forward and push everyone forward, a high block, the game is over after fifteen minutes. We would like to have a few more options, but a coach’s objective is to optimize and achieve results. “We came here to cause problems for Paris, using our strengths, but also our weaknesses,” a statement reported by Le Figaro.
It’s understandable that the defeat is hard to swallow, especially since Nice were just seconds away from a precious point. However, it’s also worth noting that PSG came much closer to scoring earlier. This could have led to further regrets, with the feeling of not having tried very hard.
This is a recurring discussion. The opponent might play with more “ambition” and perhaps concede goals more quickly, but also potentially create more chances to sow doubt in Paris’s mind. Or, there’s the defensive plan, hoping to hold on. Both have worked before, and both have failed spectacularly. Each team must choose based on its available resources.
It’s worth noting, however, that PSG isn’t particularly complaining. They acknowledge that the opponent was very defensive. Coach Luis Enrique emphasized that he liked to have possession and to attack. Which was indeed the case.
