Paris Saint-Germain defender Lucas Hernandez is playing for the first time in Ligue 1 after joining the French giants this past summer. As a result, the 27-year-old has come in as an outsider.
Nonetheless, having played against French clubs in the UEFA Champions League in the past, Hernandez has a level of respect for Ligue 1. Furthermore, it appears that the admiration has gone up more now that he plays in the league.
Hernandez spoke with Ouest France, and the former Atlético Madrid player wanted to defend the league. Additionally, he stated how the French league is viewed abroad, having come from the Bundesliga after arriving from Bayern Munich.
“Ligue 1, abroad, is considered a very physical competition,” Hernandez told the French media outlet (h/t Canal Supporters). “We know it. We see it when we meet French teams in the Champions League. There are a lot of quality young players with a lot of qualities. Seen from Germany, where I played in recent years, we find the French teams very, very strong physically and tactically.
“In France, we don’t realize the level of Ligue 1. I was aware of the level of Ligue 1. We are PSG, and we are the favorite team, but many clubs can put us in difficulty, even at the Parc des Princes. There is no easy team to face in Ligue 1.”
French teams, for the most part, are performing well in Europe this season 2023-24 season. PSG is atop Group F; meanwhile, RC Lens holds its own and is in second place in Group B. Furthermore, the Ligue 1 runners-up had an impressive win over Arsenal on Matchday 2.
Ligue 1 has quality teams. It just lacks the economics for some to keep their players and often have to sell them.
