David Ginola is impatient. The former PSG striker, 53, who played in the Parisian colors in the Champions League semi-final lost to AC Milan in 1995, awaits the shock against Bayern Munich this Sunday in Lisbon with hope to see the club of the capital finally register its name on the list of C1, the year of its 50 years.
How do you feel a few hours before this first Champions League final for PSG?
DAVID GINOLA. I am very happy for the PSG supporters: they are finally seeing their team in the Champions League final. Even if it's at the end of a particular season. I imagine the frustration of the players having to evolve without an audience. It is a test. It's so sad to see these empty stands in Lisbon. Communicating with the supporters is fabulous. But life must go on. We are all delighted to have had two French clubs in the semi-finals, to see PSG face Bayern to clinch the title. For Paris, it was a matter of time. It had been a while since the club stumbled on the quarterfinals and the round of 16. There they are in the final against a great team. We all can't wait to see this game.
What can give hope to PSG when we see the demonstrations of Bayern against Chelsea (4-1), Barcelona (8-2) or Lyon (3-0)?
The first quarter of an hour in Lyon precisely. Lyon had taken the match as it should. The start was very good but unfortunately the Lyonnais lacked offensive realism. It would have been a game-changer if OL had scored. This is a message that PSG must hear. Bayern may have scored eight goals in Barcelona, but they have small defensive gaps that Mbappé, Neymar or Di Maria can exploit.
PSG are playing their first Champions League final. Can players be overwhelmed by the issue?
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By finally passing the quarter-final stage, Paris put behind him the memories of the comeback against Barcelona, of the elimination by Manchester United. It's like a click. And in a match, PSG is able to beat any team, it has the qualities.
Do Neymar and Mbappé have the keys for this kind of summit?
Yes, because they are very great players. But it is above all collectively that PSG must make the difference. Bayern have enormous qualities, the players are able to react even when they are in difficulty to impose their rhythm and their game. The trio of Parisian strikers can make considerable differences but they will not succeed without the others. . The solution will perhaps come from a set piece, from a player that you do not expect ... That's the beauty of football.
Is the defense of PSG a weak point against Bayern's offensive armada?
No. It is collectively once again that PSG will be able to get by. When the ball is lost, the block must manage to defend together, to be really welded to avoid creating spaces between the lines. Bayern must be prevented from leaving quickly. The Germans like to have a monopoly on the ball. Paris too. So it will be above all a war of possession. But Bayern must ask the same questions when they see PSG's attacking potential.
The Parisian players emphasize the unity that reigns in their group. Does this mindset really change anything?
This is the basics of football. The teams that win are those who are united in the locker room, those with players able to transcend all together on D-Day. If the players get along, they are able to make efforts for each other at any time. what time of the match. The course of PSG demonstrates this state of mind. They still have to prove to us that they are very great players by winning the Champions League. They have their destiny in hand. There is no pressure to put on. It will be necessary to live up to the event and above all not to have any regrets.
Is it an anomaly that PSG have not yet won the Champions League?
No, the anomaly was that PSG only reached the last four once. Winning the Champions League is something else, it's the Grail, the ultimate title. Since the takeover in 2011, PSG is regarded as a club with big funds for which winning everything in France is a form of evidence. He won a lot but always kept the goal of winning the C1. This Sunday, he has the opportunity to prove to everyone that he is now a very big club on a European level. Paris deserves it. It is the club of the capital, it has a history, an image, a charisma. All that's missing is this title after the 1996 Cup Cup. It would be great for Paris to finally win the Champions League, against a team like Bayern. Football is a school of patience. We all hope that on Sunday, the expectation of players, supporters, leaders of all eras, ancient glories, people who work at the club turns into pride.
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