Dupraz: 'Neymar, all included, represents 15 years of Toulouse's functioning'

When Toulouse beat Paris Saint-Germain at the Stade Municipal last season, Pascal Dupraz, the Telese's manager who pulled off a miracle by keeping the club up, joyously cried: "You're dirty kids! You're dirty kids!"

But as Toulouse prepares to visit PSG after Les Parisiens' €222-million signing of Neymar, Dupraz isn't optimistic about repeating the achievement. Speaking at a press conference, the French manager acknowledged the economic gap between the two clubs, saying the Brazilian phenom's value is the equivalent of 15 years of business for the Telese.

"It is a chance to play against PSG, to play in Ligue 1, especially when we're the youngest team in France," Dupraz said, according to Le Parisien. "It's a chance for me to sit on Toulouse's bench at the Parc des Princes. It's almost a godsend. I wasn't scheduled to coach a team that faces PSG, a formation made up of stars. It's an honour. Neymar's signature is a benefit for French football. It's a bargain. I am neither envious nor jealous. After, if Neymar can walk on his shoelaces on Sunday ... But that would astonish me!"

Dupraz made no secret of Toulouse's plans to play defensively, stating, per L'Equipe: "Yes, we're going to Paris to defend at first, for sure, you can announce it. We're going to park the bus in front of goal. However, even if they have the prognostics in their favour, it's not won in advance for Les Parisiens and that's why we love football. Until the end of the game, Sunday night, I think we can get a result. I don't have a recipe, we need luck, provided that God helps us and helps our players because apparently PSG is incredible."

Told that he had the recipe by virtue of the scoreless draw played out by PSG and Toulouse last season, Dupraz declared: "I had my work cut out because we had only suffered. At half-time, I wanted to rectify and I asked my players to be more offensive, to stand out more. Toulouse had defended superbly. We weren't glamorous, of course. But people often forget that we have a budget of €32 million. Neymar, all included, represents 15 years of Toulouse's functioning."

Dupraz was appointed as Toulouse's manager in March 2016, when the Telese was 10 points from safety. After pulling off a miracle, the club finished 13th in what was his first full season at the Stade Municipal.