PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN
CAN THEY BREAK THEIR
ROUND-OF-16 HOODOO?
Of all the club authority figures involved
in the knockout stage of the Champions
League, no one needs a deep run in the
competition more than PSG president
Nasser Al Khelaifi. Since the Qatari state
took over the French side in 2011 and
began spending petrodollars galore on
top talent – some €1.25billion to date –
the Parisians have become a byword for
elite European underachievement, never
going beyond the quarter-finals stage.
PSG, who have gone out in the round
of 16 in each of the past three seasons,
have turned continental self-destruction
into an art form.
In the spring of 2017 they could not
even make it over the finish line despite
a 4-0 first-leg victory against Barcelona,
collapsing 6-1 in the return. And it was
the same story a year ago, winning 2-0
at Manchester United, only to blow
it in the second-leg with a 3-1 home
defeat and an away-goals exit.
The unexpected loss to a hardlyinspiring United side was a bitter pill for
all to swallow at the Parc des Princes,
but particularly for Khelaifi, whose grand
empire-building plans have thus far come
to nothing.
At the end of last season he took
aim at his squad in a splenetic interview
with France Football magazine, claiming:
“The outcome of the Manchester United
tie revealed our shortcomings in the
engagement, motivation and mentality
of our players.
“We all have dreams, notably to
one day to win the Champions League.
However, we have to give ourselves
the means to do it and show the
proper desire.
“Against Manchester United, I was
convinced that it wasn’t us who wanted
qualification most. Were we particularlyUEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Knockout stage
ready mentally? I have my doubts.
“There’s a special mentality you need
to have at the top European level and
we don’t sufficiently have it. You have
to approach every game with the same
force. We’re not always consistent in our
desire. That has to change.
“I want to see fighting spirit in every
game. The players are going to have
to assume their responsibilities. They
will have to do more, work harder. I
want players who are proud to wear
our shirt, not those who do the jobwhen it suits them. They are not here to
please themselves.
“If they are not happy, the door’s open.
I no longer want to see star behaviour.”
To help bring about this change in
the dressing-room mindset, Khelaifi
reappointed former Brazil international
Leonardo as sporting director in the
summer. Leonardo worked in a similar
role for PSG from 2011 to 2013 and prior
to his controversial departure – after
barging into a referee during a post-
match altercation he was handed aQuestion time
Mindset...Leonardo
(below left) and
Nasser Al Khelaifi“I want players who are proud to
wear our shirt, not those who do
the job when it suits them”
PSG president Nasser Al Khelaifi