Matvey Safonov Missing from PSG Team Photo

French football club PSG's routine pre-match social media post unexpectedly sparked significant debate. Ahead of the team's departure to Doha for the Intercontinental Cup final, the club's social media team shared a group photo.

However, Russian goalkeeper Matvei Safonov appeared to be nearly invisible in the image: only his legs were visible in the shot, while his head and torso seemed to have "disappeared." The situation quickly became a topic of discussion in both France and Russia.

Russian State Duma deputy Dmitry Svishchev sharply criticized the incident, calling it "a disgrace for a club with such history." He even suggested that the club terminate the player's contract with compensation if they are "ashamed" of him. Meanwhile, Safonov himself commented on the controversy, stating it was not due to a photo montage.

According to Safonov, he felt uncomfortable during the group photo shoot and chose to "hide" behind Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. However, this explanation raised further questions: how could a 192 cm tall goalkeeper completely vanish behind a player standing around 183 cm?

Interestingly, PSG has previously been involved in similar incidents concerning Safonov. In September, when the club announced the list of players departing for international duty, one player's name was entirely omitted.

It was later revealed that this excluded player was also Safonov. Whether these incidents are mere coincidences or not remains unresolved.

According to *L'Equipe*, PSG's management reportedly tried to persuade head coach Luis Enrique earlier in the season to consider Safonov as the first-choice goalkeeper. This was attributed to errors made by then-primary goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier.

Some influential figures within the club allegedly wanted to create competition to put pressure on Chevalier, similar to the situation with Gianluigi Donnarumma the previous year. However, Enrique declined, stating that stability was necessary for Chevalier's adaptation.

The situation shifted when an injury occurred. Chevalier suffered an injury in early December, giving Safonov an opportunity.

Safonov started three consecutive matches: a commanding 5-0 victory over Rennes, a 0-0 draw against Athletic in the Champions League, and a 3-2 win over Metz. *L'Equipe* noted that Safonov had made the most of his opportunity and was ready to intensify the goalkeeping competition.

Against this background, the controversy surrounding the group photo appears even stranger: after spending a long time on the bench, the goalkeeper finally starts playing, delivers three solid performances, earns a spot in the final, yet is "missing" from the image shared by the club. Whether this was an error or an oversight by the social media team, the implications were quickly noticed.

The debate is not whether the photo was edited or not. The main question remains: why did the club release an official image where one player is practically absent?

On December 17, PSG will face Flamengo in the Intercontinental Cup final in Doha. Who will start as goalkeeper — Safonov or a recovered Chevalier — will provide answers to many questions.

No matter how much Enrique emphasizes stability and adaptation, the numbers are clear: three games, two clean sheets, and a crucial result in the Champions League. If Safonov returns to the bench after such performances, the group photo incident might be interpreted as more than just a coincidence.

Transfermarkt recently downgraded Safonov's market value to 15 million euros, down by 3 million euros. The article highlights that this valuation is modest for a goalkeeper who has already delivered significant performances.

However, the group photo event has now introduced Safonov to the world as the "invisible goalkeeper." The central intrigue remains: who will take the starting position in the final?

If Safonov starts, the uproar might be dismissed as a simple, unfortunate mistake. But if Chevalier, who missed several recent games, immediately returns to the starting lineup, Safonov's "I was hiding" explanation could be seen as a diplomatic response.

PSG, meanwhile, embarks on their trip to Qatar with a "ghost goalkeeper" on the roster — one of the season's most intriguing storylines. Read “Zamin” on Telegram!