Two days before the Paris derby between Paris Saint-Germain and Paris FC, Kevin Trapp spoke to the media on Friday alongside his head coach Stéphane Gilli. For the German goalkeeper, the upcoming clash against his former club is inevitably a special moment.
Signed by PSG in 2015 from Eintracht Frankfurt, Trapp spent three seasons in Paris before returning to Germany — first on loan, then permanently. Last summer, the experienced 35-year-old goalkeeper made his return to the French capital once again, this time to help newly promoted Paris FC. Initially brought in as backup to Olympic silver medalist Obed Nkambadio, Trapp has recently re-entered the starting conversation.
With genuine competition now established between the two goalkeepers, Trapp has started Paris FC’s last two Ligue 1 matches, while Nkambadio featured in the Coupe de France just before the winter break.
“I Lived Some Wonderful Years There”
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s derby, Trapp admitted his excitement about returning to familiar surroundings:
“I’m happy to see Marquinhos again, or some members of the staff,” Trapp said, as quoted by Le Parisien.
“I lived a lot of things in that stadium and at that club, where I spent three or four wonderful years. Of course, it’s a pleasure — but it remains a football match, so we stay focused on our job.”
“There Should Be More Excitement Than Fear”
Trapp made no attempt to hide the gulf between the two teams, but insisted his side has nothing to lose:
“For me, there’s no better way to start the year than playing against the best team in Europe,” he said.
“You have to be at 100%, very sharp. It will require a lot from us, and we can learn a lot. We’ll have to defend a lot and suffer together — and above all, not think that we’re beaten before kickoff. There should be more excitement than fear.”
Rivalry? “Not Yet”
Asked about the notion of rivalry between the two Paris clubs, Trapp was clear — for now, it doesn’t exist:
“Today, the differences between PSG and Paris FC are huge,” he explained.
“We’re newly promoted, our goal is simply to stay up, and I don’t think there is any rivalry at the moment. But in the long term, ambitions could maybe become similar.”
On Sunday night, Trapp will return to the Parc des Princes facing the club where he experienced some of the best years of his career — this time with the underdog’s mindset, and nothing to lose.