After Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) defeated Flamengo to win the Intercontinental Cup final, Russian goalkeeper Matvey Safonov’s performance was undoubtedly the biggest highlight—he saved four penalties in the penalty shootout to help the team claim the trophy.
Media outlets have written columns stating that PSG will face a new and significant problem in the coming weeks. Because after Safonov’s outstanding performances in three consecutive games, the outcome of future training sessions may change the course of PSG’s season.
Luis Enrique can do no wrong, but under the current circumstances, which coach would demote Safonov to the bench and let Alexandre Chevalier return to his preferred starting goalkeeper position?
Notably, on Wednesday night, apart from an interview with French television, Safonov did not comment on his performance, which undoubtedly reflects the club’s unease.
PSG explained on Wednesday night that they wanted to "prioritize" opportunities for broadcasters.
The club recognizes that the Russian player may be asked about his relationship with Ukrainian teammate Ilya Zabarnyi, as well as his competition with Chevalier.
Chevalier, a player PSG signed for a transfer fee of €55 million, is seeing his situation become increasingly tense.
According to the club, the French player has not fully recovered from an ankle injury sustained in Monaco and thus could not participate in Wednesday’s game. He is an extremely competitive player who never hides his emotions. We must closely monitor his performance.
Chevalier will not give up easily. Did you enjoy the "cold war" between Keylor Navas and Gianluigi Donnarumma in 2021? Luis Enrique may bring us another similar spectacle in 2026.
