It just won’t work. In their third attempt, paris saint-germain and their coach thomas tuchel have again failed to secure the eighth french championship title ahead of time.
With the 2:3 (1:2) in the post-season match at the previous table-15. FC nantes slips into a mini-crisis. "We played very badly. We can be happy not to have lost 1:4. The defeat was deserved," scolded former bundesliga coach tuchel. The 45-year-old had to watch the misery from the tribune because of a suspension.
For the third time in a row, PSG remained without a win – an unusual feeling for the elite club, which had not given itself a blank for three quarters of the season. Accordingly, the astonishment among fans and in the french media about the "unimaginable turn of events" of the parisian season’s final spurt is quite rough: "caramba, lost again", writes the french newspaper "le parisien".
The defending champion was in large parts only a "bunch of fearful players". The team is disoriented. Tuchel’s team has squandered its "leap of faith," writes the sports newspaper L’equipe. PSG seemed to be lost on all levels in the match against nantes on wednesday night, it cut.
Tuchel’s first championship title in league 1, however, is probably only a matter of time. On easter sunday, paris can russe for the championship celebration in the duel against AS monaco. Perhaps the defending champions will not need to pay for it, if the second-placed team from OSC lille will drop points in toulouse and PSG will become champions before the end of the season.
In january the team was knocked out in the ligapokal quarterfinals against the first division relegation candidate EA guingamp. A short time later, the team was knocked out in the eighth finals of the champions league against manchester united – and now the expensively bought star ensemble with the german national players julian draxler and thilo kehrer is also stumbling in the championship. Tuchel’s team still tops the table with 17 points six matchdays before the end of the season.
However, PSG only fielded a rump squad and numerous junior players against nantes. For weeks, the parisians have been plagued by personnel shortages. Nine injured regulars missing – including neymar, angel di maria and edinson cavani. Star striker kylian mbappe was also absent. Whether it was for disciplinary reasons or to spare him for the next league game was left open. Tuchel would not give any information: "it’s my decision, it’s my management. No explanation!"
A dream goal by dani alves from 28 meters had put PSG in the lead in nantes, but two goals by diego carlos and the goal by waris put paris on the losing track. Among PSG fans, the german international thilo kehrer was identified in social networks as responsible for the defeat. Before the 1:2 by majeed waris, he had misplayed the ball against kalifa coulibaly on the goal line.
But not a single player was the target of tuchel’s criticism. "Today there was no performance for 90 minutes. We can lose, we can make mistakes, and I will always defend the players if we feel they are playing with a rough mentality. That’s not possible today," summarized tuchel.
After the 1:5 defeat in lille last sunday, the former mainz and dortmund coach had already vented his anger about his squad, which was too thin in terms of quantity. Nevertheless, he urged his team to remain calm in the face of the mini-crisis. "It’s a rough challenge. We will remain calm."