'Rise above the context'

On the 26th February 2005 at the Parc des Princes, Selim Benachour was introduced in the 58th minute of play to score the only goal of the game against Bastia, from the penalty spot in the 66th minute. "It was really strange," explained the former Paris Saint-Germain No.18. "We knew the stadium would be empty in the days leading up to the match, but it was still a shock. It's very hard to play without the supporters and it was even harder at the end of the match, when we needed their support to hold on for the result."

"Even if the stands will be empty, the players will still feel like they are playing at home, in their backyard. They know the stadium like the back of their hand. The stakes are high and they need to win to continue to the next round. That is the most important thing on Wednesday night," added Selim Benachour.

Five years after Selim Benachour, Guillaume Hoarau played a match behind closed doors at the Parc des Princes. On 28 March 2010, Les Rouge et Bleu defeated Boulogne-sur-Mer 3-0 in Ligue 1. "What I remember most of all about that match was the sound of the Parc... or rather, the absence of sound," explained Guillaume Hoarau. "When we walked onto the pitch at kick-off, there was the music, but no fans. It was really odd. Once the game starts, you have to focus on what you have to do, because you don't have the support of the fans." 

On the scoresheet that day, Guillaume Hoarau knows what it takes to get the result in such a situation: "You have to rise above the context, put it out of your mind, like you do when you're playing at a hostile away game. That's where you see real champions. It's really not easy, of course, but you have a job to do, a mission, and you have to be mentally strong. You have to rise above it."