The elimination of Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France against Paris FC (0-1) inevitably had the effect of a thunderclap, as the capital club had become accustomed to reigning supreme on the national scene. However, internally, now is not the time for panic or major questioning. Just a few days after winning the Champions Trophy against OM at the end of a tense scenario and a controlled penalty shootout, PSG is coming out of a period where it seemed almost impossible to bring down. Even when in difficulty, even with its back to the wall, Paris always found the resources to get through it, fueling the image of a solid collective, sure of its strength and capable of being present in major events. For almost a year, PSG had been moving forward with impressive regularity, accumulating victories, trophies and controlled performances, often without shining but with clinical efficiency.
In the Coupe de France, this domination was even more striking, with an almost uninterrupted series of successes and two consecutive titles gleaned without ever really trembling. In this context, this elimination against Paris FC appears more like an anomaly than a profound symptom. For the first time in a long time, the Parisians paid cash for their inefficiency, their lack of realism and an evening where the ball refused to go in despite overwhelming domination. A disillusionment, certainly, but also a brutal reminder that football does not always reward possession or territorial control. “I think it’s very easy to define this match. It was a very complicated match, but we played very well. We did the job well, we dominated the match. In football, you have to score goals, they scored one, not us. That’s how football is. I am happy with the collective and the individuals. It’s unfair but we have to accept it. I wish PFC the best, but I’m happy with what I saw», explained Luis Enrique in detail at a press conference. As a reminder, PSG this evening stopped a series of 1070 days without the slightest elimination in the Coupe de France, and it is also the first national title lost by the former coach of La Roja in France.
The sun always shines
This setback must also be placed in a broader context, that of a hellish sequence of matches and competitions for a group that has been in constant demand for almost two seasons. “A warning? If you look at the result maybe. During the match, we were very superior, but you have to know how to lose. And in this case, it’s clear that it’s such a bizarre result. It’s a competition that we love and it wasn’t our goal to be eliminated. You have to accept it. But if I have to lose a match, I would like to lose matches that way. What I saw tonight is what I want to see in my players. I’m sure that tomorrow when I watch the match, this feeling will be even stronger. I am very happy with the players and the supporters», Analyzed the Spanish coach. Between European campaigns, national deadlines, international trips and intercontinental competitions, PSG players move on a tightrope, both physically and mentally. Over the last twenty-four months, periods of breathing are rare, and it becomes almost illusory to demand absolute constancy in intensity and lucidity. Against Paris FC, Paris did not cheat, but lacked that extra freshness and precision which often makes the difference in tough matches.
“It’s difficult to do better than today because we dominated, we did everything in the first and second half. You just have to score goals. That’s football. When you look at the result, it’s the goals that count. The performance was of a very high level», concluded Luis Enrique while Senny Mayulu affirmed in the mixed zone: “we dominated the match but we didn’t manage to make it happen. We missed the goal. There we take a slap but we will bounce back. Better that it arrives now rather than in the Champions League? A match is a match, it’s a competition, we want to win everything. So it’s still annoying“. The remainder of the calendar, which is particularly dense, calls for more caution than alarmism. PSG will have to quickly re-mobilize, with important meetings in the league and on the European scene, where the objectives remain much more structuring than the Coupe de France. This early elimination, as painful as it is, can even serve as a useful reminder, reminding us that nothing is taken for granted and that each match must be approached with the same standards. Gonçalo Ramos’ rant clearly illustrates the infinite motivation of the Parisian group, always capable of bouncing back. Far from the start of a crisis, this misstep above all resembles the first real disillusionment of a group hitherto accustomed to controlling everything, and which will now have to show its capacity to react over time.
