Meknes – Moroccan international Achraf Hakimi voiced his disappointment with the hosting setup for the French Super Cup after Paris Saint-Germain suffered a 1-0 defeat to Lens on Sunday.
The PSG right-back pointed out that the playing conditions fell short of what a major final demands.
The 27-year-old defender stressed that the match failed to provide a genuinely neutral venue, noting that the complete absence of Paris Saint-Germain supporters gave the title fixture the distinct feel of a routine away game in Ligue 1.
Speaking after the match, Hakimi reflected on his team’s performance despite the frustrating result: “We did everything we could to win and dominated throughout the match, but there were certain things beyond our control.”
The Moroccan international went on to criticize the match environment while taking accountability for the outcome.
“Playing in a stadium under these conditions, without it being neutral and without our fans, was far from ideal. We should have played under equal conditions. Today, it felt more like a Ligue 1 match, but that is no excuse,” Hakimi added.
The Moroccan fullback also noted that PSG’s preparations for the match were far from smooth, citing a relentless fixture schedule and the late arrival of key players to training.
“We’ve played finals on neutral grounds before, but today it felt like we were playing an away game. Still, we’ll keep working hard for what’s ahead. Some players missed training sessions and rejoined the squad late, plus we had a match on Wednesday and needed time to recover our energy,” he concluded.
This 1-0 setback against Lens marks PSG’s first stumble of the season, spoiling their ideal start and handing Lens the French Super Cup title.
Despite the setback, Hakimi and his teammates are already turning their focus toward regrouping and getting back on track for the remaining challenges ahead.
