Sports Thursday, August 20, 2020 15 Team-building works wonders for PSG as they make maiden Champions League final

DPA Berlin Star-studded Paris Saint-Germain have shaken off the ghosts of the past by finally reaching the Paris Saint-Germain have undergone a remark- Champions League final, and team-building is seen as the main reason for their success in Lisbon able transformation and have been rewarded with a first- ever place in the Champions League final. For many years the Qatari- owned club appeared to be a group of individuals on a football pitch, bought for hun- dreds of millions, only to fail spectacularly on the Europe- an stage more often than not which seemed to prove that money doesn’t buy success. But this campaign has seen Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Thi- ago Silva and company act like a real team with the desire to shake off all ghosts of the past Paris Saint-Germain supporters celebrate outside the PSG team hotel and win the trophy at last. in Lisbon, Portugal, on Tuesday. (AFP) “The team has grown to- gether. We have the mentality of a small team but we aren’t a small team. That is remarka- ble. We don’t define ourselves by individual quality and are awarded for this,” coach Thomas Tuchel said. Just minutes after the final whistle of their classy 3-0 semi-final win over RB Leipzig, Neymar posted a photo on social media of the team celebrating wildly in the dressing room, with the cap- tion “Historical.” And from defender Thilo Kehrer to club chairman Paris Saint-Germain’s Brazilian forward Neymar (left) ad Mquinentre) celebrate with teammates at the PSG team hotel in Lisbon, Portugal, after Paris Saint-Germain supporters wave the club flags as they celebrate Nasser Al Khelaifi the team the Champions league semi-final match against RB Leipzig on Tuesday.(AFP) on the Champs Elysee Avenue in Paris on Tuesday. (AFP) effort was highlighted while back in Paris the fans cel- individual skills even better.” on the referee after they went new people which glued for the ebrated into the night. It took PSG, who have I am very happy and very proud of this out again early against Man- team together,” Tuchel said. “I am very happy and very 40 domestic titles and the chester United at home on Neymar was now also de- proud of this magnificent and 1996 Cup Winners’ Cup tro- magnificent and historic night for the club. a stoppage time penalty last termined to be a team player historic night for the club. phy, a record 110 games from It’s the first time we have qualified for the year, and the entire summer and after working hard dur- It’s the first time we have their first appearance in the Champions League final. This relationship they of 2019 saw him linked with a ing the lockdown insisted that qualified for the Champions elite event to finally make return to Barca. “I am in the best shape since I League final,” Al Khelaifi told the final where on Sunday (the players) have is fantastic. We needed this. The Brazilian was suspend- came to Paris.” the club’s TV. they meet either Bayern Mu- This desire to fight as one and this result reflects ed but PSG then started this On Tuesday, he was seen “I have felt since the nich or French league rivals the true Paris Saint-Germain family. campaign in the best possible defending at his own penalty Borussia Dortmund game (in Olympique Lyon. way by beating record winners area while up front was denied the last 16) that the players But they also earned the Paris Saint-Germain club chairman Nasser Al Khelaifi Real 3-0 in his absence, and by the post twice, including a are united, that they wanted distinction of having matched that of Mbappe as well. cheeky free-kick, and he set up to fight together and that’s Real Madrid’s record of scor- Tuchel said that this victo- di Maria’s goal with an acro- what we needed. This rela- ing in 34 successive matches ry, as well winning the return batic back-heeler. tionship they have is fan- in the competition. mar and Mbappe constantly “I am very proud because woes culminated in 2017 when leg against Dortmund 2-0 be- Now comes the small tastic. We needed this. This PSG’s hunger at the Lis- tormenting the Germans the team showed not only they beat Barcelona 4-0 in the hind closed doors just before matter of the final on Sun- desire to fight as one and this bon finals showed in different along with Angel di Maria who quality but hunger as well.” last 16, only to implode in the the coronavirus lockdown, day. Tuchel said they have result reflects the true Paris ways. In the quarter-finals, scored the second and set up That banished memories of return leg and lose 6-1, with were crucial for a team which no preference, either the Saint-Germain family.” they fought against elimination Marquinhos and Juan Bernat Neymar and now departed Neymar scoring twice for Bar- was also strengthened smartly well-organised Lyon team or Kehrer said: “We are really against Atalanta and turned for the other goals. Edison Cavani once famously celona before switching sides in summer with experienced Bayern, who once were inter- a close-knit team, we done a lot around the game in the 90th “The strength is in them,” bickering on the field over for a world record 222 million goalkeeper Keylor Navas and ested in him and have similar of things together away from minute and stoppage time. was the screaming headline who should take a penalty euros (264 million dollars). midfielder Ander Herrera. attacking power to PSG as the pitch. And if we bring all Against Leipzig, they were of L’Equipe sports daily on during a league match. Neymar’s frustration “We had a few key mo- shown in their 8-2 demoli- that onto the field it makes the utterly dominant, with Ney- Wednesday as Tuchel said: Their Champions League boiled over in a heavy attack ments and got experienced tion of Barca. Mbappe reveals night of pain, Neymar and attacking stars align tears ahead of CL ‘Final Eight’ for PSG in pursuit of Cup glory oon after Paris Saint-Ger- Smain made it to the final of the UEFA Champions League AFP in Paris for that world record fee in 2017, defeating Leipzig 3-0 in Lis- Lisbon which has clearly made him even more de- bon on Tuesday, PSG super- termined to succeed now. star Kylian Mbappe revealed An inspired Neymar helped Paris Saint- “Today I am in one piece, with no inju- how he had slept through pain Germain reach the Champions League ries, able to help my teammates in the best and tears not knowing wheth- final on Tuesday, but the fact that the Bra- possible way,” he wrote. er he would be able to play in zilian was not their best player against RB the ‘Final Eight’ following his Leipzig says everything about the frighten- Di Maria right at home ankle injury. ing strength of Thomas Tuchel’s team and There will be no Ballon d’Or this year, with Mbappe suffered injury in shows why they can be confident of lifting organisers France Football cancelling the the French Cup final against the trophy for the first time. award because of the coronavirus Saint-Etienne at the end of Neymar has become a different play- pandemic. But Neymar will still July. However, he returned to er in his third year in the French capital. have a strong claim to be the best play a key role off the bench in His first two seasons at PSG following player on the planet if he can lead the 2-1 quarter-final win over his 222 million-euro ($264m) transfer PSG past either Bayern Munich or Atalanta last week and started from Barcelona were blighted by inju- Lyon in Sunday’s final. against Leipzig. ries and constant speculation about a “I am sure that if we win the “The truth is that the night move back to the Camp Nou. Champions League he will be in I got my injury against Saint- When it became clear last summer a position to win these trophies,” Etienne I thought that was it, that a return to Catalonia would not hap- said teammate Kylian Mbappe. that I wouldn’t come back” for pen, he knuckled down and decided fi- “He is destined to do so.” the Champions League ‘Final nally to make a proper go of it in Paris. Yet while Neymar and Eight’, said Mbappe. This is the end result. After scoring in Mbappe, the two superstars and “I cried all night, but the both legs against Borussia Dortmund in the two most expensive players of all time, next morning I woke up and the last 16, just before the coronavirus dominate the headlines, there were stand- said to myself that I would do brought football to a halt, he was out- Paris Saint-Germain’s Brazilian forward out performances all through PSG’s team everything I could, get treat- Paris Saint-Germain’s injured German coach Thomas Tuchel embraces standing in the 2-1 quarter-final win over Neymar after the match against Leipzig in on Tuesday. In particular, Di Maria. ment all day and come home French forward Kylian Mbappe as he leaves the pitch after being Atalanta last week in Lisbon and even Lisbon on Tuesday. (AFP) The Argentine was once the major su- and get more treatment. substituted off during the UEFA Champions League semi-final against better in the 3-0 demolition of Leipzig. perstar at PSG before being eclipsed by his “I knew the team would Leipzig at the Luz stadium in Lisbon on Tuesday. (AFP) Neymar hit the post twice in the first him score a goal when I scored maybe two attacking colleagues. need me at some point, maybe half, including from an audacious free- in my career,” joked Tuchel. Against Leipzig, on his return from not for my physical presence “I feel good, better and Munich in their semi-final on kick wide out on the right as everyone “He scores in training, but he is play- suspension, it was he who set up two goals on the field but also being better all the time, but I still Wednesday. waited for a cross. ing exceptionally well, he is so, so strong. either side of scoring himself. around the team and showing have to wear a heavy strapping “I’d prefer Lyon for sure, The 28-year-old won the free-kick He has a winning mentality, a hunger to Di Maria looked right at home in them I was ok. around it. because they are a French which led to Marquinhos’s opener, and it win and to show he is capable of being the the Estadio da Luz, where he turned out “I never wanted them to “There is no more pain. I team,” Mbappe said when was his flick which set up Angel Di Maria best player in the world. If he scores in the for Benfica for three years and where he see that I was suffering. It was still need to take certain pre- asked if he had a preferred op- for the second goal, ensuring it was game final then I’ll be happy.” was the man of the match for Real Ma- a difficult time but it was a real cautions but I am ready to help ponent in the final. over by half-time, before Juan Bernat Neymar later posted a picture on Ins- drid when they won the 2014 Champions pleasure to come back against the team, give everything on “It will be a very tough sealed the win. tagram of himself lying on the ground in League final against Atletico Madrid. Atalanta and help the team the pitch. All I want is to win, game. If it’s Bayern, fine, but The only thing missing was a goal of agony, a reminder of his bad luck with in- “It is going to be difficult to sleep to- qualify today.” Mbappe, 21, that’s why I came here.” if it were Lyon it would cer- his own. “What can I say to Neymar to help juries in his first two seasons after arriving night with the final in mind,” he said. admitted he is still not back to On the final ahead, he tainly make it a very special peak fitness. hoped Lyon will beat Bayern occasion.” (AFP)