Cabella moved for Chevalier but full of admiration for Safonov, his former teammate

Rémy Cabella says he feels for Lucas Chevalier and is happy for Matvey Safonov, who has become Paris Saint-Germain's number one goalkeeper. Speaking in an interview, the former Montpellier player refused to pick a side between the two men.

Chevalier, the former Lille player signed to establish himself as the starter in Paris, lost his place to the Russian goalkeeper last season. He is now relegated to the bench. Cabella, who played alongside Safonov at Krasnodar, is also close to Chevalier.

Praise for Safonov's style

Cabella says he always knew Safonov was a very great goalkeeper. "I always said he was too good. He had his own style, like handball goalkeepers when he comes off his line," he explained. He calls his former teammate "Mota" and says he has stayed in touch with him since he arrived in France.

A side he won't pick

His position is a delicate one: he is delighted by his former teammate's success, but he is also thinking of his friend. "I feel for Lucas, but I'm also happy for Mota," he said.

Messages and video games

Cabella looked back on Safonov's arrival at PSG. "I was happy he was coming to France because it's strange to see a Russian in France, and even abroad. We'd sent each other a few messages and we'd played video games together too, because I'm a geek."

For his part, Safonov had made his ambitions clear in a Paris shirt, along with his wish for more playing time. He took advantage of the chances he was given to get the better of his French rival, and the goalkeeper pecking order is still being closely watched.