On Monday, the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 draw paired Paris Saint-Germain with Real Sociedad. For the capital club, it’s a favorable result; meanwhile, for the Spanish side, they know it’s a complicated tie for them.
After the matchup was made official, there was plenty of reaction from the La Liga side. Real Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay was in a humorous mood when he shared his initial thoughts on the matchup.
“It’s probably the most difficult draw at this stage of the competition,” Aperribay told the French media outlet (h/t Paris Fans). “But we will do our best. It’s a benchmark club. A great team with great players. They’re just big clubs at this stage of the competition.”
“There’s still a lot of time until those eighths. But if Mbappé is not in such good shape, let them leave him to us (laughs), let him come with us for a while, and we will return him at the end of the year. We are delighted that he is playing against us.”
Regardless of the challenge, Aperribay is confident that the squad is up to the task of taking on the French giants. It’s the only mindset they can have to ensure the team pulls off the upset, even though Real Sociedad finished first in their group.
“Our team is very good,” Aperribay added. “In La Liga, things are going well. We had a good Champions League campaign with competitive matches against Inter, Salzburg, and Benfica.
“We are on the border of France, so there will be a lot of Parisian supporters. We have a lot of French supporters who come from Bayonne, Biarritz, Hendaye, and Saint-Jean-de-Luz. But we hope they will all be for Real that day.”
PSG has the opportunity to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2021. However, they cannot underestimate their opponents, and having an experienced Spanish manager like Luis Enrique is advantageous as he can reinforce that message.
