Paris Saint-Germain’s 1-0 defeat to RC Lens in the Trophée des Champions left a bitter taste for Achraf Hakimi. While the PSG full-back admitted his team failed to convert their chances, he was unhappy with the conditions in which the final was staged at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis.
Hakimi did not hide his frustration. Speaking to Ligue 1+, the Morocco international criticized the fact that PSG had to play the match at their opponent’s stadium with very little support in the stands. “We did everything to win. We had chances and controlled the whole game. But there are things we cannot control, like coming here to play on this pitch, which is not neutral, and without our supporters.”
Hakimi Questions the Neutrality of the Final
Hakimi believes a final should allow both teams to benefit from equal support. “When you play a final, half the stadium should be for your supporters and the other half for the opposition. Today, it felt more like a Ligue 1 away game.” However, the PSG defender refused to use the situation as an excuse for the defeat. “It is not an excuse because we did everything to win and, unfortunately, we were unable to score,” he insisted.
The Moroccan went even further, calling on Ligue 1 to reconsider how these matches are organized if French football wants to continue developing. “If we want our league to grow, we have to look at these things.” Bollaert-Delelis had been selected following a draw organized by the LFP, a decision that ultimately gave Lens a significant home advantage in a stadium overwhelmingly filled with Sang et Or supporters.
Hakimi nevertheless accepted the sporting result and stressed that PSG must keep working. “I repeat that it is not an excuse. It is up to us to continue working,” he concluded. The Paris defender has therefore accepted the defeat, but clearly hopes that future Trophée des Champions finals will be staged under more neutral conditions.
