Matvey Safonov is starting his 3rd season at PSG, and the first only as number one. When he arrived, Gianluigi Donnarumma was the starter and guided the French club to its first Champions League, then he saw Lucas Chevalier settle in goal in the summer of 2025. But after a few months, the Russian took over the Frenchman, whose first performances had not convinced, to become the goalkeeper of PSG. He also greatly helped his team win its second C1 last spring. In an interview given to Parisianthe former Krasnodar player believes he has been rewarded for his efforts by the technical staff. “I have done a colossal amount of work. Psychologically, it was difficult because the club recruited a new goalkeeper, Lucas Chevalier, who started as a starter. I stayed on the bench for three or four months, around twenty matches. Then, the situation changed. These last two years have been crucial: I have changed profoundly psychologically, physically and tactically.»
Luis Enrique also went through this in his success. Despite the presence of Donnarumma when he signed, Safonov still played 17 games. “I am a realistic person. When I arrived, I knew full well that I was not starting. Gianluigi Donnarumma is one of the best goalkeepers I have ever seen and he has put in some great performances for PSG. His saves in the Champions League were decisive, it would be stupid to deny ithe admits. For my part, I remained calm. I knew I needed time to assimilate the game ideas and adapt to the level. It wasn’t easy at first, but by the end of the first season, I finally felt ready to shake up the hierarchy for the following year. It didn’t matter who my competitor was, whether it was “Gigi” or someone else. Finally, it was Lucas Chevalier who arrived, and I was determined to prove from the first training session that I deserved this number one position.» Since the start of 2026, Safonov has been number one and has put an end to the debate. Be careful not to make your coach doubt again after his first performances of the season…
