PSG’s Champions League exit has sparked anger amongst the fanbase
We’ve been here before, haven’t we? Another season, another spectacular (and quite funny) Paris Saint-Germain failure in the Champions League.
While this season’s last-16 exit to Real Madrid might have lacked some of the drama witnessed in the implosions at the hands of Manchester United or Barcelona in years gone by, PSG’s expensively assembled squad has probably never felt the wrath of their fanbase quite like they have in the last few days.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side returned to domestic action with a comfortable 3-0 win at home to Bordeaux on Sunday. Supporters weren’t exactly pleased to see them though, with loud boos heard throughout the Parc des Princes whenever Neymar or Lionel Messi touched the ball.
Their anger wasn’t confined to the stadium, either, as a series of messages daubed on the walls of the club’s training complex make clear.
One message, as per the Daily Mail, reads: “Leo FDP” – French slang for “son of a bitch” – while another says: “Leo/Nasser NTM” – slang for “fuck your mother”.
Lovely stuff.
Parc des Princes et Camp des Loges tagués https://t.co/ojTqb7bI3o #PSG
— CulturePSG (@CulturePSG) March 14, 2022
While part of the message is clearly directed at club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who PSG ultras have also demanded hands in his resignation, there’s some confusion as to who “Leo” is referring to.
Many have interpreted it to be Messi, but it seems more likely the message is aimed at Leonardo, the club’s Brazilian sporting director.
Another message also says: “Leonardo get out,” while there is also a pointed message at the club’s Qatari ownership: “Paris will never be Qatari.”
The graffiti appeared overnight on Sunday, hours after the Bordeaux game, and had been cleared by Monday morning.
PSG had beaten Real Madrid 1-0 in the first leg in Paris and taken the lead on the night to extend their aggregate lead to 2-0 in the second.
After Karim Benzema pulled one back in the second half, things quickly unravelled – the Frenchman completing a quick fire hat-trick to seal Madrid’s passage to the quarter-finals.
Al-Khelaifi and Leonardo were both furious after full-time, namely with the nature of the first Madrid goal, which they felt should have been struck off for a foul on Gianluigi Donnarumma. The pair were reportedly escorted away from the referee’s room by security staff.
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