March 7 – Money, it seems, has once again has failed to buy success for Paris St Germain who continue to wait to land Europe’s biggest club prize.
To be fair PSG were without the world’s most expensive player, ankle injury victim Neymar, when they lined up against defending champions Real Madrid on Tuesday but their last-16 exit from the Champions League highlighted their inability to deliver when it matters most despite their hugely expensive squad.
Having lost 3-1 in the first leg, PSG hardly ever threatened a comeback and went down 2-1 for 5-2 aggregate defeat. “PSG disappeared without leaving a trace,” bemoaned l’Equipe.
Since Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) took over in 2011, PSG have never reached the semi-finals of the Champions League, being eliminated in the last 16 twice in a row after four consecutive quarter-final exits.
In Ligue 1, PSG lead by a massive 14 points but lack of decent competitive domestic opposition has clearly had a marked effect.
Coach Unai Emery, who many believe will be replaced in the summer, commented: “We all want to win this competition quickly. We’ll continue with patience, and build a team that can win. I’m sure this team can win the Champions League. The supporters will see that Paris will win this competition one day. Losing to Madrid is not a disappointment, but going out in the last 16 is. But, the first leg was the key because we were better over the first 80 minutes than them.”
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