A sliding element, in particular a piston ring, has a coating which has the following layers from the inside outwards: a polycrystalline, metal-containing adhesive layer, an intermediate layer, and at least one amorphous carbon layer, the intermediate layer having the following partial layers from the inside outward: an AxCy layer, with c standing for carbon, A standing for a metal, preferably of the metal-containing adhesive layer, and x as well as y each comprising values of 1-99, and a crystalline-containing or crystal-containing carbon layer.