Meridian Drafting
The French press did not shut up the criticism this Thursday about the defeat of Paris Saint-Germain against Real Madrid, with terms such as “ridiculous”, “sinking” or “irrational” to define the performance of the Parisian players, and that it believes that coach Mauricio Pochettino will be sacked at the end of this season.
“Irrational”, headlines L’Equipe, which narrates how PSG dominated the game and the scoreboard (0-1) at half-time, to then “sink in the second period”, in what to a certain extent “reminds us of another Spanish catastrophe “, 6-1 against FC Barcelona in 2017.
The sports newspaper highlights the “state of grace” of the Frenchman Karim Benzema, author of the three goals for the Madrid team, but points out that this “cannot explain everything”, and stresses that the PSG players failed “on the mental level” .
The 1-1, in a “gross mistake” by Donnarumma, was a turning point that unleashed “the beginning of the merengue fury and the loss of control of Mauricio Pochettino’s men”.
And, about the PSG coach, he points out that this harsh defeat, when the tie seemed sentenced by an accumulated 0-2 with half an hour to go, “seems to seal” his fate at the end of the season.
“It is more than likely that the Argentine coach directed his last European game on the Parisian bench in Madrid,” he maintains.
Le Parisien speaks in similar terms, which is titled “And Paris is Sinking.”
“Crucified by three goals from Karim Benzema, he leaves through the back door covered in ridicule,” he adds.
The Parisian newspaper recalls that after the first hour PSG dominated the scoreboard, “giving Real Madrid a lesson in possession, preservation and desire”, but then everything collapsed “like a house of cards, and only because hers”.
It also highlights the “monumental failure” of the goalkeeper Donnarumma, added to the success of Benzema, “executioner without opposition”.
The performance of central defender Marquinhos, who was unable to stop Real Madrid’s French striker, is another object of criticism from the French press.
See also: In Madrid’s Olympus: A supernatural Benzema beats Alfredo Di Stéfano
Le Parisien insists on the psychological issue: “A sparrow’s mentality” after the Madrid tie, with systematic turnovers and marking errors that allowed the Whites numerous chances and shots.
On France Info public radio, former French world champion Bixente Lizarazu plays down the controversy over whether Benzema missed Donnarumma for the first goal.
“The fault is above all the Parisian goalkeeper, who poorly manages the situation from a technical point of view when it was not necessary because his team had total serenity. There is no need to look for an excuse,” he says.
From that error, “the stadium is inflamed and the Parisians have been completely liquefied, the people of Madrid have been transformed and Karim Benzema has shown all his class”.
The RMC Sports broadcaster agrees that Pochettino will cease to be the Parisian coach at the end of next season, despite the fact that his contract runs until 2023, but points out that the future of Leonardo, the technical director, “is also in question” .
His strategy of signing stars at the end of the contract (Messi, Ramos, Donnarumma) has not worked, and has failed to lighten the team’s bulging payroll, emphasizes RMC Sports.
He even aims higher at Nasser al Khelaifi, president of the club since 2011, who after multimillion-dollar investments cannot show the long-awaited Champions League in Qatar, and whose position he considers “weakened.”
Also read: This was Nasser Al-Khelaifi’s reaction after PSG’s elimination