Superstar decade ends without goals
31 shots, post, crossbar: PSG coach is stunned
May 8, 2024, 7:53 a.m
Paris St. Germain has only had one goal for over a decade: the Qatari-owned club desperately wants to win the Champions League – and has now failed again. No goal was scored against Borussia Dortmund, also because there was a lot of bad luck in the game.
Kylian Mbappé stared into the Parisian night sky for an eternity. Did he notice what was going on in the Dortmund fan curve? What kind of gigantic party was going on there? Rather not. The Paris St. Germain superstar seemed to be in a completely different world after the final whistle. What was he thinking? One does not know. Presumably it had something to do with his team’s elimination from the semi-finals of the Champions League. With a lot of bad luck, that is. Although the Qatari owners’ luxury ensemble did not manage to utilize the squad’s full potential over 180 minutes, there was still no shortage of chances to score against BVB.
UEFA’s official statistics portal recorded 31 shots on goal in the second leg alone. Not everyone was dangerous, not everyone scored on goal. Especially in the first half, when the offensive was still controlled and didn’t have much impact, there wasn’t much that put the guests in trouble. But things changed after the break. And the longer this game went on, the angrier they became. And the more dangerous. In the 87th and 88th minutes, Mbappé and Vitinha hit the crossbar. There had already been two loud rattles at the Dortmund goal post. Four times aluminum, mon dieu! Plus two more posts from the first leg. BVB had been incredibly lucky at times.
“Happy with the attitude”
“Football wasn’t fair to us in this match. We have to accept that, congratulate the team that reached the final, mourn and deal with the disappointment,” said coach Luis Enrique. He was a fair sportsman, but still struggled with the injustice because he didn’t see his team as the worse in the two 0-1 defeats: “That’s life, that’s sport. It’s really important that you knows how to win, but also how to lose,” said the Spaniard: “As a coach, I am the first one to be responsible for the defeat, but I am happy with the attitude and behavior of the players.”
For the time being, PSG will no longer come as close to the pot as it did this year. Because this evening marks the end of a great era at the traditional club, which has been in Qatari hands since 2011. This evening marks the end of the era of superstars that began with Zlatan Ibrahimović and ends with Mbappé. It is not yet official where he is headed. But all signs point to Real Madrid. A new monster is likely to be created there in the next few years with Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham. A perhaps indomitable one? And what will happen to Paris St. Germain? You don’t know, but “L’Equipe” is already calling for an early end: “PSG, the flame has gone out.” The Spanish “Marca” writes: “PSG and Mbappé are shipwrecked”. And “AS”, also from Spain, says: “Adios Mbappé. Adios Champions. Tragedy in Paris.”
Mbappé becomes philosophical
The next knockout is particularly bitter for the star striker, who wanted to make himself immortal in his hometown. Who wanted to serve the silverware as a farewell gift. But in both games he was never able to bring what he is capable of onto the pitch. Dortmund took his breath away. They stood on his feet, always in the way. But once he had space, it immediately became dangerous. He mistreated the aluminum in both the first and second legs. “I don’t like to talk about bad luck. When you’re good, you don’t hit the post, the ball goes in,” said the star striker, taking responsibility above all for himself: “I’m the guy who scores the goals and must be decisive. If I succeed, I will take on all the light, but if not, then I also have to bear the shadow.”
This shadow of failure now once again hangs over the PSG project, which has to reorganize itself in the summer. Overall, the squad should be more balanced, with fewer superstars and more of a strong collective. There will be another game idea. The aim is to create a healthier environment, less toxic, significantly less self-centered. Numerous coaches, including Thomas Tuchel, have stumbled over the very difficult dressing room and the nervous management level in recent years. Mbappé in particular had repeatedly penetrated the club, with intentions to change and dissatisfaction. His “love” for PSG was paid for more and more dearly.
Of course, the reconstruction does not start from scratch. With the young hopefuls Warren Zaire-Emery (18, market value is already 60 million euros), Lucas Beraldo, Bradley Barcola, Nuno Mendes and Goncalo Ramos, the next very well-trained generation has long been ready. With the furious Xavi Simons, currently on loan at RB Leipzig, another key player is set to return. There are also established forces like Ousmane Dembélé, Vitinha, Marquinhos and Achraf Hakimi. Who else is coming in from outside? The list of rumors is as long as usual, including striker Victor Osimhen (SSC Napoli) and Barcelona’s super talent Gavi. The 19-year-old is considered the coach’s dream player, who once had a great time with the Catalans. All still well-known names, but no longer as outstanding as the big rivals from the English Premier League or Madrid. Probably with Mbappé.