Club legend: Chevalier joined PSG at a less-than-ideal time

On February 10, former Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Bernard Lama spoke about Chevalier’s situation on Canal+.

Bernard Lama stated: “First of all, I think Chevalier joined Paris at a less-than-ideal time. A large part of the fans do not understand why Donnarumma left, nor why the club made this change. This naturally puts unnecessary extra pressure on Chevalier. How can you media treat a young goalkeeper like this? He is still young for this position, but very talented… you are almost waiting for him to make a mistake so you can pounce and report it.”

He continued: “I heard Enrique say he has three excellent goalkeepers who can all play. That is true. I believe they are at a similar level. I think it makes sense – just like with outfield players, rotation is normal. There used to be a fixed number one goalkeeper, but if you have two or even three keepers of similar quality, the most important thing is how they fit with the squad and the team. It’s part of overall management. There are a lot of matches these days. When I was at Paris, I went to the coach and said I was playing too much, and wanted the other goalkeeper to feature in some cup games. Players are not machines; even when you’re performing well, you need rest sometimes. Chevalier is a northern French boy – he will keep working hard, and his form will come back.”

Finally, he concluded: “In my opinion, the gap between him and Safonov is not big. He is still young – remember, he hasn’t experienced top-level football at multiple clubs. This is Paris, European champions, a benchmark of quality. And he’s not the only one who has faced difficulties here.”