The French press did not leave criticism this Thursday about the Paris Saint-Germain defeat against Real Madrid, with words such as “absurd”, “immersive” or “irrational” to define the performance of the Paris players, believing it was the coach. Mauricio Pochettino will be out at the end of this season.
“Irrational”, headlines L’Equipe dominated the PSG game and scoreboard (0-1) at half-time, then “sank in the second period”, to a certain extent “reminding us of another. Spanish disaster”, 7-1 against FC Barcelona in 2017 .
The sports newspaper highlights the “state of grace” of French player Karim Benzema, the author of three goals for Madrid, but points out that it is “impossible to explain everything” and emphasizes that PSG players have failed “mentally”. .
1-1 on Donarumma’s “worst mistake” was a turning point that unleashed “the beginning of the Merengi fury and the loss of control of Mauricio Pochettino’s men.”
Also, about the PSG coach, he pointed out that this drastic defeat seemed to “seal” his fate at the end of the season, when it appeared to have been leveled at 0-2 at half-time.
“The Argentine coach has done more than just direct his last European game on the Parisian bench in Madrid,” he says.
Le Parisien speaks in similar terms, “and Paris sinks.”
“He was crucified by Karim Benzema with three goals and then exits through the door after being mocked,” he added.
After the first hour PSG dominated the scoreboard, the Parisian newspaper recalled that “Real Madrid taught a lesson in possession, protection and desire”, but then everything “collapsed like a house of cards, only hers”.
This highlights the “monumental failure” of goalkeeper Donarumma, the “executioner without resistance” to Benzema’s victory.
The performance of central defender Marquinhos, who could not stop Real Madrid’s French striker, was another subject of criticism in the French press.
Le Parisien emphasizes the psychological problem: “The mood of a bird” After the Madrid match, systematic turnover and coding errors allowed whites plenty of opportunities and shots.
On French Info public radio, former French world champion Pixente Lizarras eases controversy over whether he missed Benzema Donarumma for the first goal.
“Above all is the fault of the Parisian goalkeeper, who manages the situation poorly from a technical point of view when not needed because his team was completely calm. There is no need to look for an excuse,” he says.
From that error, “the stadium burns down and the Parisians are completely liquefied, the people of Madrid were transformed and Karim Benzema showed his class”.
RMC Sports broadcaster Pochettino admits that although his contract will last until 2023, he will stop being a Parisian coach at the end of next season, but points out that technical director Leonardo’s future is “in question”. .
His strategy of signing the stars at the end of the contract (Messi, Ramos, Donorumma) did not work and failed to reduce the team’s big pay, RMC Sports insists.
He has been targeting club president Nasser al-Khalifi since 2011, when he could not show the long-awaited Champions League in Qatar after a multi-million dollar investment, and he considers his position “weakened”.
