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Four days after elimination in the Champions League against Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain beat Bordeaux on Sunday March 13 in Ligue 1 (3-0). But at the Parc des Princes, players and managers have tasted the wrath of supporters, ulcerated by these repeated failures. They demanded change, including in the management of the club.
From an accounting point of view, Paris had a pleasant Sunday. The capital club smashed the bottom of the French championship, Bordeaux, with a clear 3-0 victory. First scorer of the match, Kylian Mbappé joined Wissam Ben Yedder at the top of the top scorers in Ligue 1 with 15 goals. And in the standings, PSG has increased its lead with 65 points, 15 more than its runner-up Nice.
However, the atmosphere was far from festive at the Parc des Princes. Wednesday’s defeat and elimination in the Champions League Round of 16 face au Real Madrid enraged the fans. And the latter threw an icy cold on the Porte d’Auteuil enclosure.
Mbappé applauded, the others shouted down
Only one man was spared the whistles of the public: Kylian Mbappé. Scorer on the outward and return against Real, the striker escaped the fury of the supporters. The No. 7 was given a standing ovation with each ball taken and on the opener (24th). A luxury treatment for one of the few to have risen to the occasion on Wednesday. And also perhaps a new testimony of affection to hope to see him prolong the adventure in Paris, while the people of Madrid are courting him and Mbappé will be free to commit where he wishes at the end of June.
The other players, on the other hand, suffered the wrath of the stands. Lionel Messi, seven-time Ballon d’Or? Conspired by a public very disappointed with his performance since his arrival with fanfare last August. Neymar, the most expensive player in the history of football (222 million euros to make him become Barcelona in 2017)? The same. His goal in the 52nd minute didn’t change that. Coach Mauricio Pochettino and his players were treated to a constant bronca, accompanied by bird names and other insults.
The leaders also took it for their rank. For the first time since the beginning of the Qatar Sports Investments era at the head of PSG, the supporters showed frank hostility to the club’s leading heads. Already on Saturday, the Collectif Ultras Paris (CUP), the main fan association, published an open letter calling for the resignation of the management, starting with that of Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, the president of PSG:
« We don’t have short memories. We know what our return (in the foreground, editor’s note) owes to President Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, there is nothing personal here but it is clear that he is not the man for the job. The situation of the club now requires a complete reorganization at all levels and the daily presence of its president. »
► To read also: Back to the other failures of PSG in the Champions League
The break with Nasser Al-Khelaïfi and Leonardo
Leonardo, the sporting director, was not mentioned but was also targeted by the CUP for his failed choices since his return in 2019: “ How can you have a real game project when your squad is just a pile of “stars” with little or no complement? How can a coach be the respected boss of his locker room when he is clearly not the real decision-maker? »
This anger materialized in the stands of the Park on Saturday. “Mbappé in Paris, Leonardo in the pillory”, “Direction resignation”, “Give us back the PSG” could we read on certain banners. It’s hard to imagine that Paris won 3-0 as what happened around this meeting was explosive.
Change, there should be some within the club. But not right now. According to the echoes of The Team and you Parisian, no strong decision will be taken immediately. We will surely have to wait until the end of the season, in May, to see the start of a possible transformation. But with only Ligue 1 to eat and all this lead at the top of the rankings, the next two months promise to be very long at PSG.
