On the eve of PSG first home game of the season at the Parc des Princes, Antoine Kombouaré looked ahead to the game at the traditional pre-match press conference.

Antoine, how do you feel ahead of this first game at the Parc des Princes?
“I feel great, even if I’m trying to control my emotions as much as possible. It’s important to remain focused and the match and to win. I really want to win my first home game. The first game in front of your own fans is often the man that can launch the season, so it’s crucially important to get the win. It’s a big game against a difficult side to play against. I really want the victory.”

Do you feel under more pressure now than when you were a player here?
“It’s a lot easier now if I remove the factor that this is my first game at the Parc des Princes in charge of PSG. I’m concentrating on the team and on my job. When you’re a player, it’s a lot more intense and you think about a lot more things, like your family, for example. Tonight I’ll go to sleep thinking about what I can do to beat Le Mans, and if everything goes well I hope to enjoy myself once the game is over.”

What do you think about this Le Mans side?
“It’s more or less the same squad as last season, with one or two exceptions. I’ve worked very hard on their last game against Lyon. And I saw a very good team. They’ve got a new spirit and a lot of quality. Against Lyon, they could have won, and like us, they let it slip in the final seconds. They also have a new coach (Paulo Duarte) and he knows what he wants. I also know that they’re a squad that works hard on perfecting their set pieces. Obviously I hope they want be perfect against us.”

The home fans will be an important factor...
“Of course. It’s always better when the stadium is full because support is very important, but even in an empty ground, we need to play and win. I’m only thinking about one thing – play and beat Le Mans. We need to be all-conquering at home because when you play for PSG at the Parc des Princes, your opponents should be scared.”