Karchaoui secures PSG women's qualification and demands a different face in Champions League

PSG women qualified for the Champions League league phase by crushing Frankfurt 5-1 after extra time on Wednesday at the Poissy Campus, following a disappointing first leg that ended in a 1-1 draw. Captain Sakina Karchaoui was the architect of qualification with a decisive brace in extra time.

Barely off the pitch, the 30-year-old French international did not shy away from being critical of the performance. Lucid about the difficulties the club has faced in its previous European campaigns, she sent a straightforward message to her teammates in the dressing room. “I told the girls not to forget the shirt we wear. We’ll have to do better, that’s for sure. We want to show a different face,” she said in the mixed zone.

Karchaoui’s remarks take on full meaning in light of last season’s record: Paulo Cesar’s players finished 17th out of 18 in the previous league phase, without a single victory. A painful memory that the captain is determined not to let happen again.

Karchaoui also praised the support of Paris ultras, who came in large numbers to Poissy despite accumulated disappointments. “The ultras push us. It also touches us that they come despite our difficulties in recent years. They’re always there. We have to stay a family, stay united,” insisted the native of Salon-de-Provence.

The message is clear: qualification is only a starting point. For PSG women, the Champions League league phase represents above all an opportunity to turn the page on a hitherto disappointing European era.