Sleep has been hard to come by for Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino. The Parisians suffered a dramatic second-half collapse against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, crashing out of the Champions League. The Argentine, however, wants his team to take out their rage against Ligue 1 opponents.
On Saturday, Pochettino admitted that he is finding it ‘hard to sleep at night’ following his side’s shocking and surprising exit at the hands of Real Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16 stage. With less than half an hour remaining on the clock, PSG led by two goals against Los Blancos.
However, Karim Benzema took full advantage as PSG imploded in the final quarters of the match. The French striker scored a brilliant hattrick and Pochettino’s side were all over the pace. PSG have a history of dramatic collapses in the Champions League – going out against Manchester United in 2019 and conceding six goals against Barcelona in 2017.
“How do I feel? Very upset,”
Pochettino told a press conference ahead of his side’s league game against bottom club Bordeaux on Sunday.
“I have rage, I feel a certain discomfort. It’s hard to sleep at night. But we have to take on our responsibilities and continue to think about the league. Personally, mentally, I’m in the process of recovery. That doesn’t mean I’m not strong. I feel ready to fight and take up this challenge.”
PSG’s fans have been left fuming and have called for the club President Nasser Al Khelaifi as well as his board’s resignation for the first time since the Qatari takeover in 2011 following their latest European failure.
This was the 10th consecutive season where they managed to qualify for the knockout stages, having previously qualified only five times before in their history prior to the Qatari takeover.
