FOOTBALL
PSG need a culture change to be European success
Paris Saint-Germain once again suffered a premature exit from the Champions League despite starting the season as the ultimate contender for the highest crown in European football.
The Parisians threw away a two-goal lead against Real Madrid in the last 30 minutes to suffer a 3-2 defeat at Santiago Bernabeu, which curtailed their European campaign for this season.
Apart from the 2019/20 campaign, when PSG finished their Roud-of-16 hoodoo to make it to the final, the Ligue 1 giants have vastly underperformed in Europe’s most elite club competition despite having star-studded squads.
One might point towards PSG’s semifinal run under Mauricio Pochettino last season, but truth be told, they were fortunate to make it to the last four, having won only six of their 12 matches in the tournament.
Why do PSG fail to make a mark in Europe?
They have the quality to conquer Europe, but why can’t they?
Ever since the Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) took over the club in 2011, they have invested ten-figure numbers of money.
Other than domestic dominance, the club don’t have much to show for it.
The lack of cohesion between the players has been apparent in PSG for years.
The club hierarchy has partnered with marquee fashion brands and celebrities like Rihanna to promote the club as a cultural icon.
But, they did little to address the culture problem that is restraining PSG’s potential as a football club.
Poor team morale
Reports claim, after the final whistle at Bernabeu, Neymar and Gianluigi Donnarumma got involved in a heated exchange, blaming each other for the loss.
It doesn’t paint the picture of high team morale.
PSG have been a team of individuals for far too long. A cultural overhaul is essential to meet the sky-high ambitions of the club.
The Parisians have frequently thrown their managers under the bus for the club’s below-par European campaigns.
But, they mostly tried a blind eye towards the disciplinary issues that made managing PSG a nightmare for any accomplished manager.
Carlo Ancelotti, Laurent Blanc, Unai Emery, Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino-all these tacticians have failed to stamp their mark in the PSG dressing room.
Player power has been too prominent in the club. As a result, the Parc des Princes outfit barely looked like a unified front.
Without addressing this issue, PSG will never achieve their goal of becoming a true European powerhouse.
Putting together a team full of superstars will only serve as a Galacticos parody, unless the club puts more trust on the manager.
FOOTBALL
‘They have to be favourites’ – Liverpool ‘perfect’ in Champions League
Liverpool’s impeccable start to the season has made them strong contenders for the Champions League. After securing a place in the knockout rounds with a win over Girona, they’ve maintained a perfect European record.
Rio Ferdinand praised their momentum, highlighting their position as favorites based on form, though he cautioned that freshness, particularly for key players like Virgil van Dijk and Mo Salah, will be crucial. Stephen Warnock echoed this sentiment, noting that Liverpool is a formidable opponent in both the Premier League and Champions League.
FOOTBALL
WATCH: Georgina Rodriguez makes huge claim on Cristiano Ronaldo’s retirement in Football
Georgina Rodriguez made a huge claim on the future of her husband and star player, Cristiano Ronaldo, in Football. In a brief interaction with a host recently, Rodriguez was asked about the time left for Cristiano to make an impact at the highest level. Georgina looked honest in her approach to the question of the host and claimed something the fans would not love to hear.
Georgina claimed that the Portugal star has maybe one year more from him at the highest level. She felt that Ronaldo might play two more years before retiring and not more than that. She was however not sure if he would play for just one or two years and added that the Al Nassr star could also play more than that.
Watch the video of Georgina Rodriguez here –
🚨🎙️| Georgina Rodriguez on Cristiano Ronaldo’s future at Paris Fashion Week yesterday:
“Cristiano one more year, then it’s over. Maybe two, I don’t know.”
(via @ArobaseGiovanny)pic.twitter.com/4dxw2j5DuC
— Pubity Sport (@pubitysport) March 3, 2024
“Cristiano one more year, then it’s over. Maybe two, I don’t know,” said Rodriguez in the little chat she had with the host. The video has gone viral on X and the fans have started sharing it on different platforms. Some of the fans feel that Georgina might be right, while others feel that she could be wrong, given the fitness and longevity of the star player.
Legacy of Cristiano Ronaldo
On the 5th of February, Ronaldo celebrated his 39th birthday. He is currently one of the oldest players in the world. In the past, players at this age would have retired way back. But the fitness and consistency of Ronaldo make him play the sport as long as he wishes. In his career so far, Ronaldo has won many major leagues for Portugal and league teams like Real Madrid, Al Nassr, and Manchester United.
With United, Portugal won some major leagues like the FA Cup and the Champions League. With Real Madrid, the 39-year-old won the leagues like the UCL, Copa Del Rey and La Liga. He won it three consecutive times for Real Madrid. For Portugal, Cristiano had a huge contribution to Portugal. He has the most number of appearances and goals for an international team and won the Euro 2016 with Portugal.
FOOTBALL
Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham slapped with Red Card as he argued with referee
England and Real Madrid player Jude Bellingham was slapped with a Red Card during the La Liga game against Valencia. In the game, the home team, Valencia was leading by 2-0 after 30 minutes before Madrid scored in the injury time of the first half. Vinicius Junior opened the scoring for Madrid while Hugo Duro (27′) and Roman Yaremchuk (30′) scored a goal each.
In the 76th minute, Junior scored an equalizer to keep the team in the game. However, in the injury time of the second half, Bellingham was given a red card as he argued with the referee against calling it a full-time before he could score. In reply, the match official decided to slap the England international with a Red Card. The team coach Carlo Ancelotti wasn’t happy with the verdict as the Three Lions player was making a pass at the time.
Jude Bellingham verbally abusing officials and other footballers at the slightest provocation needs to be talked about more. It’s embarrassing he gets applauded by Real Madrid Fans.
Mason Greenwood should’ve allowed La Liga to deal with this simp. pic.twitter.com/ixYSw6YxaC
— Herman Facundo© (@hermanfacundo_7) March 3, 2024
“I think what’s just happened is unprecedented. It’s never happened to me,” Ancelotti told reporters.
“We had possession of the ball and the match should have been finished when Valencia had the ball.
“What bothers us is the red card for Bellingham because he didn’t say anything insulting. He was frustrated of course,” said Ancelotti, adding that Bellingham had used a common English swearword when telling the referee it was a goal.
We are annoyed with Jude Bellingham’s Red Card: Carlo Ancelotti
“We were annoyed with Bellingham’s red card. He didn’t say any insults. He said in English ‘it’s a f—ing goal,’ but he was just saying what we were all thinking … [The referee] allowed play to continue. I think he made a mistake.”
“[Bellingham] was clear in what he said,” Ancelotti added. “He was quite vehement [in his reaction] but that’s normal, after what happened. It wasn’t an insult, not at all.”
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