This Sunday, in the opening round of the 2026-2027 Ligue 1 season, Paris Saint-Germain faced Rennes at Roazhon Park. Franck Haise, the Rennes manager, spoke at the post-match press conference following the 2-2 draw.
Haise: “We succeeded in doing a number of the things we set out to do.”
Was it a satisfying draw against PSG, or a frustrating one given how the game unfolded?
I look at the match as a whole and the quality of our performance first. That’s how you have to analyze it, even if it’s not always easy right after the final whistle. We succeeded in doing a number of the things we set out to do. Of course, I’ve recently spoken about our lack of rigor in certain situations… Against this kind of opponent—with teams and players of this caliber—if you slip up while defending against balls played in behind, fail to mark perfectly, or don’t put enough pressure on the crosser, you can find yourself in trouble.
That’s what happened. But overall, I’d say we played a great match. We even had a chance to make it 3-2; we shouldn’t forget that. I actually thought it was in—I hadn’t seen Pacho tracking back (smiles). There are far more positives than negatives tonight.
Haise: “For a good part of the match, we were much more compact.”
Was there an improvement in intensity?
I think it was also because we were better organized. Intensity isn’t just about effort—it depends on whether you’re 5 meters or 10 meters away from the opponent. For a good part of the match, we were much more compact, closing off the middle and isolating their explosive wide players. That’s what allowed us to defend better. We were also precise in our transitions. Against Paris, we know we won’t be playing a set attack for the entire match, so we need that precision as well. That said, there were some promising attacking moves. There are plenty of positives. The only regret is not winning.
