Football news

Former Paris Saint-Germain player Rafinha explained why the Parisians did not succeed when Messi, Neymar, and Mbappe were part of the team.

“During pre-season, at the first training session where everyone was present, I immediately said, 'This simply cannot work.' Let’s start with the goalkeeper: Navas or Donnarumma. One of them will not play — and will be furious. There will be arguments, conflicts with the coach.

In defense — Marquinhos, a key player, no one can replace him, Kimpembe, the idol of PSG, and Sergio Ramos. The best defenders for each position. In attack, Di Maria, Mbappe, Neymar, and Messi. Who will you take out? Di Maria? With his weight and authority in the team? You can’t just put him on the bench. It cannot work. It’s impossible for the coach. This was the best team in the world by names and player level, but at the same time, it was incredibly difficult to manage. I wasn’t playing at the time, so I just watched from the sidelines,” quotes Rafinha in Lance.

Lens winger Florian Thauvin has been recalled to the French national team for the October World Cup 2026 qualifying matches against Azerbaijan and Iceland.

According to a statement from the French Football Federation press service, the 32-year-old player will replace PSG representative Bradley Barcola in the national team squad, who is suffering from a hamstring injury.

Thauvin last played for the national team on June 11, 2019, in the Euro 2020 qualifying match away against Andorra (4:0), where he scored a goal and provided an assist.

The former coach of Juventus, Thiago Motta, may lead Monaco, reports Foot Mercato.

According to the source, the 42-year-old specialist is on the list of candidates to replace the current coach of the Monegasques, Adi Hütter. The management of the French club is considering options to strengthen the coaching staff after the team’s unsuccessful start to the current season.

Additionally, Motta is in search of a new club after his dismissal from Juventus in March 2025.

Some matches of Round 7 of the France Championship took place. Here are their results.

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Monaco’s head coach Adi Hütter spoke about when he plans to give playing time to the team’s midfielder Paul Pogba.

«Paul Pogba must be ready to play against Angers on October 18. We plan to gradually increase his workload, giving him 15−20 minutes in this first match,» Hütter is quoted by RMC Sport.

Recall that the French midfielder is preparing for a full return to the game after completing an 18-month doping suspension.

Former Barcelona forward Thierry Henry believes that coach Hans-Dieter Flick’s approach of playing with a high defensive line in Champions League matches is flawed.

«You cannot play in the Champions League with such a high defensive line. When you play against top teams, sorry, but your defense will be breached.

And that is exactly what happened against PSG. We mention it every time, but they don’t want to change anything. Sometimes coaches can be stubborn in their decisions, but in big games, it can be very costly,» Henry said on CBS Sports.

Some matches of Round 7 of the French Championship have taken place. Here are their results.

Read completely →

Lille goalkeeper Berke Ozers commented on three saved penalties within three minutes during the second round match of the Europa League against Roma.

«It was an insane night. Before the match, I promised my girlfriend that I wouldn’t concede a single goal. She pointed out that it’s been a long time since I had my last clean sheet. I didn’t expect it to be this tough, but I managed to keep my goal intact. To be honest, I don’t even know how I pulled it off.

If there had been a fourth penalty, I would have saved it too. But it was an incredible night for the whole team. And for me, the most important thing inside is the three points, not the three saved penalties,» Ozers' words are quoted by RMC Sport.

France national team head coach Didier Deschamps commented on AS Monaco midfielder Paul Pogba.

“Yes, he is approaching the moment when he will become a footballer again. A return to the French national team? I have no doubt that he wants this and that this is his goal. After that, he needs to take certain steps. The next step is when he gets the AS Monaco jersey and steps onto the field. I hope everything goes well for him. After that, we’ll see. That’s all I wish for him, just to take that first step. It would be a huge joy for him.

Is his return possible? If I say 'yes', it will be: 'Wow, Pogba is back'. If I say 'no', I will look like an idiot, so that won’t work either,” Deschamps is quoted by Football France.

PSG fullback Nuno Mendes commented on the victory over Barcelona (2:1) in the second round of the Champions League group stage.

«We have many injured players, but those who stepped onto the field played fantastically. We demonstrated our work ethic. Even with so many missing players, I think we showed our best level,» the Portuguese player said to DAZN.

Moreover, Nuno Mendes was named the best player of the match against Barcelona.

PSG head coach Luis Enrique shared his impressions after the victory over Barcelona (2:1) in the second round of the group stage of the Champions League.

“It is obvious that Vitinha, alongside Pedri, is the best midfielder in the world. Nuno Mendes and Hakimi? They are undoubtedly the two best wing-backs in the world. They are capable of anything.

Against Barcelona, it is hard not to panic, but you have to know how to adapt. Last year we faced many difficulties, and today we proved that again. It continues. We played with 17— or 18-year-old boys, and that’s fantastic. We continue to believe in ourselves,” Enrique is quoted by RMC Sport.

Barcelona head coach Hans-Dieter Flick acknowledged that PSG (1:2) was much better in the second round of the Champions League match, but views this result as a necessary step towards improvement.

“In the first half, we played much better than in the second. We conceded many goals because we were tired. PSG is a great team. They have very young, fresh players, and they were at an excellent level. We didn’t play at our best, and it’s hard against such teams. They deserved to win, and we have to congratulate them.

We started very well, but after 30 minutes they controlled the game better, and we dissolved. In the second half, they were better.

I think that in the second half it was clear that some players were very tired. Marcus, Pedri, De Jong. They gave their all on the field. With a score of 1:1, we need to defend better. We need to learn and improve against teams of this quality,” Flick is quoted by Mundo Deportivo.