‘All that, for that?’ – PSG and Emery digest another Champions League exit

All that, for that?” read L’Équipe’s damning headline on Wednesday morning. On a night when the team’s fans had done their best to create a raucous, fiery atmosphere, evincing their belief in a comeback for their side, Paris Saint-Germain unequivocally let their supporters down. Overturning Real Madrid’s 3-1 lead from the previous leg was always going to be a tall order, and the loss of Neymar to injury was also a not inconsiderable obstacle, even if his replacement, Ángel Di María had been in form of late. However, it was not the elimination itself that stung the most, even after a summer in which the club had spent the better part of €400m, but rather its insipid manner.

The most expensively assembled team in the history of football collapsed with barely a whimper, unless Marco Verratti’s dismissal for dissent shortly after the hour can be considered. Much like the first leg, there was a chaotic feel to the match, particularly in its opening moments, but unlike three weeks ago, this was never an encounter decided by fine margins, even as most of the players and Unai Emery stumbled over themselves to take the blame in the aftermath.

Thiago Silva, back as captain after having been dropped in the first leg, offered a frank statement to redouble his belief in Emery and emphasise that haste was not the necessary response, even at such a frustrating juncture.

“It is a shame after the competition we had produced up until now. It is hard for us and the fans,” he said. “We need to concentrate on coming out of this situation. Changes, now is not the right time to talk about that. But it is not the manager’s fault. Those who play are the players. He had to make difficult choices. It is not his fault. We stand together with him. We need to continue, to pick ourselves up and continue.”

Source: theguardian