Garcia overjoyed at breaking Lille drought

Jubilant head coach Rudi Garcia has dedicated his side’s Coupe de France victory to the people of Lille.

Lille claimed the trophy on Saturday with substitute Ludovic Obraniak clinching the 1-0 victory over Paris Saint Germain with a goal in the dying stages.

It is the first time Lille has won the Coupe de France trophy since 1955.

“The club and the people of Lille have been waiting for this for 50 years, so we are proud to lift the Coupe de France for them,” Garcia said.

“For me, it’s the most beautiful trophy. I have competed in this cup with amateurs and with pros, with Le Mans or here. It’s the same magic, the same desire, the same team spirit and we are proud to bring the cup back to Lille.”

Garcia paid tribute to PSG and said the match could have easily gone either way.

“Of course, it was a tight game and PSG could have won too,” he said.

“Especially after the first hour. I think they were on top. In the first period, the match was kind of deadlocked. Both the teams were holding their own. On the other hand, the game was really open in the second half.”

“With Antoine Kombouare’s coaching, when Mevlut Erding came into play, when Tulio De Melo and Ludovic Obraniak on our side came off the bench, it changed the match. We saw a more attacking Lille team. There was much more space on both sides.”

“That meant it could have been PSG’s night but, as I told my players at half-time, it was clear that the winner would be the team who focussed on the small details, such as a free kick … And Ludo had the good sense to deliver the sort of magic that only he knows how to do.”

PSG coach Antoine Komboure labeled the loss ‘cruel’, but could not find any fault with the way his players performed.

“We played a great football match. It’s true, it could have been Lille or us that won. As we often say, the final comes down to the detail. Tonight, Lille got the little bit of luck you need to win,” he said.

PSG now turn their attention to their Ligue 1 campaign, with a Champions League berth for next season still in their sights.

“The objective for us is to remobilise right away, to forge ahead, because in four days we have a very important match against Bordeaux and, as I told my players, the consolation for us will be to play the Champions League next year,” Komboure said.