It took just a single image to spark a wave of speculation. On the eve of Paris Saint-Germain’s departure for Qatar, the official photo released by the club quickly drew reactions: of the 22 players called up by Luis Enrique for the Intercontinental Cup final against Flamengo, only 20 appear in the picture. Enough to fuel an inevitable controversy.
The absences of Senny Mayulu and Matvey Safonov immediately caught the attention of supporters. While the former simply benefited from a few extra hours of rest in Paris, the case of the Russian goalkeeper quickly took on a very different dimension.
Controversy Around PSG’s Official Team Photo
According to several Russian media outlets, Safonov had indeed been present in the photo, positioned behind Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, before allegedly being deliberately removed by PSG. Some even went as far as circulating an edited image supposedly proving the use of retouching, further fueling rumors of internal tension.

Faced with the media frenzy, Matvey Safonov decided to speak out to set the record straight. “You may think that I’m not there, but I am there. I’ve always felt uncomfortable trying to squeeze into group photos,” he explained on his Telegram account. Taking a lighter tone, the goalkeeper then defused the controversy: “Many people said that Photoshop was used, but no, it’s me hiding here.” Case closed: Safonov is indeed in Doha and training normally with the Parisian squad.
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