It was a day before Qatar’s national holiday on December 18th when Nasser Al-Khelaifi couldn’t stop gushing last year. The President of Paris St Germain Of course, he was at the World Cup in his home country at the time, expressing his very personal anticipation of the dream final.
“I’m proud to have two players, the two best players in the world, playing the final in my country. That’s the best scenario. I can’t wait”piped the Qatari, who hoped that the showdown between Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi would give his club the greatest worldwide appeal.
Kylian Mbappé doesn’t work at the push of a button
Everything in his emirate was spruced up: the final stadium, the bombastic Lusail bowl in the north of Doha, was already shining day and night, and many football fans had fun in advance in temperatures of over 20 degrees in the Winter Wonderland on Al Maha Iceland next door. But the real attraction were the two superstars employed by Paris, who famously exceeded all expectations right up to the last penalty in a most spectacular final.
This also seemed to be the future of PSG to shimmer as golden as the temple of jewelry in which France and Argentina had enchanted the world. What Al-Khelaifi didn’t realize, however, was that Mbappé and Messi weren’t machines who could kick so well at the push of a button. As soon as they returned to the European winter, the gray everyday life settled over both of them.
Julian Nagelsmann has already tricked PSG this year
A certain Julian Nagelsmann put in a tactical masterpiece as coach of FC Bayern in mid-February when the French favorites lost their round of 16 first leg 0-1 at the Prinzenparkstadion. At the beginning of March, Mbappé and Messi’s exit was sealed after a 0-2 loss in Munich.
The end of an unsuccessful era under the Eiffel Tower was inevitable because the trident had to fall apart. Messi went to the USA, Neymar to Saudi Arabia, while Mbappé initially resisted the temptations of the desert with a little financial persuasion. But he doesn’t know exactly what will happen next summer for the 24-year-old.
The constellation is treacherous
A lot could depend on the last Champions League group game day at Borussia Dortmund (Wednesday 9 p.m.). Despite the lucky 1-1 draw, Mbappé and his colleagues were defeated by a controversial penalty Newcastle still with his back to the wall.
Sports show Champions League Live, December 13th, 2023 8:50 p.m
Only with a win will the guests be sure of progress; even with a draw, the newly rich rivals from England could overtake AC Milan with a home win. The constellation is treacherous. And almost embarrassing for the PSG president.
The globally networked mastermind now has an important voice through the UEFA Executive Committee. The 50-year-old recently commented on the new European Cup formats for women, with some saying that the PSG women were more likely to win the premier class than the men, who were doomed to eternal failure.
More French people strengthen identification
It is not without a certain piquancy that this rarely balanced ensemble only once had half a hand on the pot under current Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel. As is well known, the Frenchman Kingsley Coman had something against it in the final against Bayern in the Corona summer of 2020. PSG is now relying on such players in order to benefit from the abundance of talent in the country (and club).
The commitments of Ousmane Dembélé, who was banned from BVB, and Randal Kolo Muani, who was released from Eintracht Frankfurt, should also strengthen identification. With Bradley Barcola, the capital club has secured another exciting compatriot.
And in the past, even a top talent like Warren Zaire-Emery, who was only 17 years old, might not have received so much playing time. But things are not going well with the increased domestic influence, which is perhaps what annoys the ambitious coach Luis Enrique the most. Sure, those Ligue 1 The champions are leading again, but ultimately the Champions League will be settled.
Luis Enrique is under pressure
Despite their talent, the Spaniard’s team lacks the dominance and authority of a title contender. Although the team, with Italian star keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma or ex-Bundesliga players Achraf Hakimi and Lucas Hernandez on the flanks, no longer seemed as haphazard as it did under Enrique’s predecessor Christophe Galtier, and the team spirit is also said to have changed for the better, but the automatisms are taking effect not. Enrique in particular cannot afford a defeat at Westphalia.
Before the game, the Spaniard appeared combative: “Big clubs play big matches every month. If you don’t like the pressure, you can’t sign for a big club. We can win the game tomorrow and we will win the game tomorrow.”
Since 2011 the Qatari State Fund “Qatar Sports Investment“, the club has never been stuck in the preliminary round. Overwintering is the least that the owners expect for their opulent subsidies – we’re talking about four billion euros in total over the years – on this stage. From the project Nasser Al-Khelaifi hasn’t talked about making PSG number one in the world of football for a long time.