David takes on Goliath in French Cup final

Paris: Les Herbiers players are experiencing a whole new world as they prepare for the biggest game of their careers.

In the build-up to today’s French Cup final against Paris St Germain at the Stade de France, the Third-Division minnows have been invited to stay at Clairefontaine, the national football centre known as “The Castle” where the country’s international players prepare for their matches.

“I believe I have been staying in (Antoine) Griezmann’s room,” said Les Herbiers captain Sebastien Flochon. “It’s a dream come true, we are preparing for that final in ideal conditions. With all the history attached to this place, we could not hope for a better place.”

In terms of players, budget, salaries and glamour, PSG and Les Herbiers – a small town with a population of just 16,000 – could not be more different. While super-rich PSG sealed the French league title with five games to spare last month, Les Herbiers have yet to secure their place in France’s third tier for next season.

The club from the Vendee region in western France have a stadium holding just 5,000 fans and a budget of about €2mil (RM9.4mil). Last summer, PSG paid €220mil (RM940mil) to buy Brazil superstar Neymar from Barcelona.

And while PSG boast the likes of Edinson Cavani, Angel Di Maria and Kylian Mbappe, the Les Herbiers players don’t make headlines and reportedly earn €2,500 (RM11,760) monthly on average.

To sum it up, Les Herbiers’ challenge looks like a lost cause.

“Some people rate our chances of winning at about 1%,” Flochon said. “It would be the biggest upset of the last 20 years.”

The fourth Third-Division side to reach the final after Nimes, Amiens and Quevilly, Les Herbiers have already beaten Second-Division teams Lens and Auxerre.

“Our chances are minuscule, but we will give ourselves fully,” Flochon said. “It will be important not to step onto the pitch thinking it’s already over.”