Paris Saint-Germain was eliminated in the knockout stages of the Champions League, beaten 2 goals to 0 on the lawn of Bayern Munich, Wednesday March 8. An evening with the air of deja vu, as the difficulties of the Parisian club to climb to the top of the European hierarchy are recurrent. Apart from 2020, the year of the Covid, when the club reached the final and in 2021 when it had difficulty reaching the semi-final stage, the too many poor performances make up a very gloomy history for the Parisians.
The anger of the supporters
Angry after this new failure, the supporters now seem to be pleading for a total overhaul of the team, from the coach to the players. “The concern is that we stack the stars without trying to find out if they can play together and without worrying about whether they are still at the level”, judge Tristan, a member of Collectif Ultras Paris (CUP). “When you ask yourself the question of extending the contract of Messi who has not played for years or of Sergio Ramos who is no longer the player he was at Real Madrid, you are going into a wall. »
“Some players, cataloged as promising, with great potential in their debut, like Marquinhos or Marco Verratti, have unfortunately gotten used to cruel defeats and now, we can see that psychologically, they apprehend that, ” believes for his part Laurent, a fan of PSG since the 1990s, the era of the golden generation which won the Cup Winners’ Cup. The latter pleads for the departure of many players, even the historical ones. “And yet, I was the first fan of Marco Verratti”, he laments.
“There are untouchables like Neymar or Messi, to whom you must not say anything and who above all must not leave the Eleven on the ground, even though they have nothing to wax about it”, gets carried away William, another reassembled fan. “These players do not even come to greet the supporters who make the trip. They cash their checks and royally mock the club. It must clear! »
Parisian players who reveal themselves… once they leave
In the thorny issue of workforce management, the attraction of glitter and football stars also hides another phenomenon: the loss of players trained or passed to the club, on whom the management no longer relied and who yet prove to be outstanding footballers. As proof, PSG have conceded 12 goals by former Parisians since 2020. Kingsley Coman or Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting thus scored against their former club during the double confrontation with Bayern.
One of the latest examples is that of young Xavi Simons, transferred to PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands) last summer. The one who suffered from a lack of playing time in Paris now shines brightly in the Dutch championship, probably leaving some regrets to the leaders of the capital club.
Mbappé, the only hero who stands out
Although powerless Wednesday evening against Bayern Munich, Kylian Mbappé seems to retain his legitimacy with the supporters. Many plead for the team to be built around the native of Bondy. “With Nuno Mendes and Donnarumma, it’s the only one I want to keep”, slams William. “Mbappé is still young, but he has proven everything. He could have left last summer, but he stayed. He loves his club, and everything must be built around him. »
For CUP member Tristan, “changing coaches every year is useless”. “If we put in a new coach but each time he finds himself with an army of mercenaries, he won’t get anything. Every player who signs for PSG must respect the club and give it their all. »
In the meantime, between now and the end of the season, fans will once again be satisfied with the remaining league matches. “The season is already over”, sorry William. “As a supporter that I am, I will watch them again and I hope they will have a good transfer window next summer, but I admit that I am starting to get tired. »
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