It started with another dedication to the Champions League last Wednesday, something PSG has become adept at.
However, the recent slump against Real Madrid – in which PSG conceded three goals in 27 minutes to throw a 2–0 aggregate lead – differed from previous impacts against Barcelona and Manchester United in one important way: it was not particularly It was shocking.
As goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma’s fury gifted Karim Benzema his first of three goals, PSG’s demise seemed inevitable. But despite that inevitability, it still made for gruesome but compelling viewing, like peek through your fingers while watching a horror movie.
The sequel to that horror show was Saturday’s 3-0 win against Bordeaux, in which a significant section of PSG fans switched their players. During the match, most of the squad was greeted by the crowd at the Parc des Princes – and some received a cooler reception than others.
Most notably Neymar and Lionel Messi, both of whom were chuckled by PSG fans during the creation of the opening goal. There was loud applause when Neymar swung the ball into the net, but those cheers quickly turned to laughter after the initial enthusiasm waned.
Messi arrived in Paris to much fanfare in what was arguably the most shocking player move in history, but the signing has so far been painfully heavy for PSG fans.
The Argentine has scored only two goals in 18 appearances in Ligue 1 this season, with five more to come in the Champions League, and looks like a shadow of the player he was in those later years at Barcelona as well.
UEFA investigation
The humiliation against Real Madrid on the pitch was linked to the widely reported behavior of PSG representatives.
After the game, club president Nasser al-Khelaifi and sporting director Leonardo confronted officials in the referee’s dressing room for expressing their anger over Real Madrid’s first goal, which they believe was Donnarumma by Benzema. But came after committing a foul.
UEFA later confirmed that a disciplinary case had been opened in the incident. “The UEFA control, ethics and disciplinary body will make a decision in due course,” said European football’s governing body.
PSG declined to comment on the UEFA disciplinary matter when contacted by CNN.
While the frustration brought on by PSG’s Champions League failures was directed at the players on the pitch on Saturday, Al-Khelaiai and Leonardo did not escape the wrath of the club’s supporters.
In a statement issued earlier on Saturday, pro-club group Collectif Ultra Paris called for Al-Khelai’i’s resignation.
“How can a coach be the respected leader of the changing room when he clearly isn’t the one making the right decisions?” was one of the many questions raised in the statement.
“We don’t have a short memory. We know what our return is for President Nasser al-Khelaiah, but it’s clear he’s not the man for the job.
“The current state of the club requires a complete restructuring and the daily presence of its president at all levels going forward.”
On Monday, fan frustration was visible for all at PSG’s training center and the Parc des Princes stadium, where insults were sprayed at the facilities for Al-Khelai and Leonardo to leave the club.
“Nasser, Leo out,” read a fragment of the graffiti, believed to be aimed at Leonardo rather than Messi.
Similarly, head coach Mauricio Pochettino could not survive a Real Madrid defeat without blame. Unsurprisingly, Argentina faced calls for his dismissal or resignation, but Leonardo insisted this was not the solution.
“We shouldn’t throw everything in the bin,” he told RMC Sport. “We shouldn’t have to start from scratch after every loss. The aim is to win the Champions League, and by half time we were fine.
“We have to improve this team and keep the morale up to play in Ligue 1 and finish the season well. We have to stick together. Pochettino is still part of the project for this season. No time to think about it.” Is.”
With 10 games left in Ligue 1 and a 15-point lead over second-place Marseille, PSG are almost certain to secure their seventh French league title in eight seasons.
After the victory over Bordeaux, Pochettino said he was “saddened” to hear the outcry from the crowd and insisted that his anger was felt within the squad as well.
“We were all impressed,” he said. “We understand the frustration and frustration. We are all living this together as a team. It is our duty to take responsibility for what happened. We share this disappointment with supporters.”
player departure?
One player who managed to avoid booing was Kylian Mbappe.
The striker, who has been happy throughout the match against Bordeaux, is the golden boy of French football and has scored both goals for PSG in their recent match against Real Madrid. Despite the French club boasting both Messi and Neymar in their ranks, Mbappe is probably PSG’s most prized asset.
This will emerge as a significant concern, given that PSG is likely to lose Mbappe for free over the summer. The 23-year-old’s current contract expires on June 30, 2022 and there has been no progress on a new deal so far.
Mbappe told CNN in late December, just before European football’s January transfer window, that he would “100%” finish the season with PSG. However, he has not hidden his desire to move to new pastures – especially pastures in Madrid.
When Real submitted a bid of $188 million for Mbappe in August – a deal that was close to being agreed – the Frenchman admitted at the time that he wanted to leave PSG.
“I was honest,” said Mbappe. “I gave a feeling, I gave what’s in my heart. I’m happy … It’s my city too. I’m French … I want to win everything this season.”
Whether Mbappe is still “happy to be with”, however, is another matter, and it will certainly give Al-Khelaifi and Leonardo another headache.