PSG: "I would have liked the adventure to end with Cavani and Meunier", regrets Paul Le Guen

Paul Le Guen, former PSG midfielder, is delighted to receive his club of hearts in a friendly match this Sunday with the Ligue 2 team he has been coaching since summer 2019, Le Havre. After confinement in Brittany, the technician is happy to perform his job again. A few hours before seeing Paris resume the thread of its season in front of 5000 people, he assesses his chances in the Champions League.

How was this friendly match born?

PAUL LE GUEN. The leaders told me about it, I immediately said yes. It was not planned to have a friendly match on that date but of course I agreed to add it to our calendar. I allowed myself to call Leo (Editor's note: the sports director of PSG) to support our candidacy. The match has been confirmed since July 1st. It's good news. We are very happy.

Where is Le Havre at?

We resumed on June 22, like the PSG. We did all the necessary tests the first week. We returned to the field after a week. We started with conservation games. We started oppositions with goalies this week. The friendly match may come a bit early, but whatever. Playing against PSG cannot be refused.

What to expect for this first meeting, the first for the two clubs?

It's a real match, but it's above all a great training. We want to serve as a good sparring partner at PSG. The match will be what PSG will do with it. We will do what we can, offering opposition. Obviously we will play but we will try not to be silly, by not hurting a player for example given the deadlines of Paris. We will all have this in mind.

Will there be a strict health protocol?

These are logical precautions. We were tested again mid-week. The number of people on the edge of the field is limited. We will have at heart to respect the instructions out of respect for our opponent. I do not know if the replacements will wear a mask and if it is useful. I see this abroad when there is a real distance between each player. If we are asked to do it, we will, but I question the usefulness.

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You like Thomas Tuchel, what are the pitfalls to avoid for coaches with a team in recovery phase?

It is impatience. We all want to find real football but we have to go very gradually. We realized this during the first week of the recovery. When the players returned to the field, nothing was easy. The second week went better. You have to accept to go slowly, we have time to prepare. For PSG, it's a real training match. For us it's a little party but we still have to play it like a training match. We will make two teams, each will play 45 minutes. The idea is not to be on the block because we are facing PSG.

Is finding the public the other event of the match with the coming of PSG?

In Le Havre, hosting PSG is a small event. There are strong demands for places. We will not be able to satisfy everyone. Starting with PSG, even in a friendly atmosphere, is a celebration. People are looking forward to this moment.

If Paris offers itself the Champions League, everything will have started in Le Havre finally…

(Mischievous) It looks like they were used as a preparation base and I hope no one will forget it. (Laughs).

Has Paris seen its chances of being crowned continental decrease with the end of Ligue 1?

It's not an advantage, that's for sure. It all depends on the players' spirit of responsibility. Collective training is irreplaceable but they are well maintained. Individual preparations are possible even during confinement. We can therefore compensate a little with this work. I think they had this spirit of responsibility because they kept in mind the national Cup finals, the deadline of the Champions League. I imagine they did what it took to stay in shape.

Tuchel has this time less pressure: he is eliminated, it is the fault of Ligue 1 which did not resume; it goes far, is it successful?

I don't think it's very different. We are still far from the event but when it will approach, there will be a wait. People talk about it. The pressure will come back and it will be a context similar to usual.

Does the format change help PSG?

Nothing beats playing above all. It's good to have taken the initiative to finish the competition. Abroad, the championships end with real champions, descents that take place on the field and not on the green carpet. This is better than what we have experienced in France.

Did you understand this Ligue 1 stop?

I found that the decision had been made early. I especially did not understand the decision of the UNFP (Editor's note: the players' union) , which almost offered everyone to stop when we could wait.

Which European adversaries seem dangerous to you from now on for PSG?

I watched a lot of games. Bayern Munich and Real Madrid were the two teams that impressed me the most. Real are on the brink of elimination (Editor's note: beaten 2-1 at home on the first leg against Manchester City) but with Bayern, it releases a force.

Is Paris also weakened by the departures of Edinson Cavani and Thomas Meunier?

Yes, but especially as a supporter of PSG, I would have liked the adventure to end with Cavani and Meunier. It's weird to know that Cavani is not going to end this adventure. Imagining that PSG wins it without Cavani does something to me. He would have deserved, I don't know if it's the right word, but it would have been good if they both ended the adventure with Paris. I place myself as a simple supporter and a simple observer. I have this regret.

Before and after confinement, PSG sends back the image of a united team. Is it an asset to win? Did you win the Cup of Cups in 1996?

Yes surely. It was another world, another level. It is difficult to compare but it is better to get along. It's practical and it's an added advantage. This is what has emerged from the Paris group for months now. I liked the attitude on the return against Dortmund behind closed doors. This gives cause for optimism for the future.