Sports42 FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 2017

PSG ‘nightmare’ as coach battles for survival

BARCELONA: PSG coach Unai Emery was fighting for Unai Emery still credible? This is not the moment to we are aware of that. In the first half it was more our survival yesterday after his side were swept away 6-1 talk of this. After the game, we are all upset.” fault than them playing well,” said Spanish coach by Barcelona in a Champions League rout described as Influential French sports daily L’Equipe was quick to Emery. “In the second half it changed. The (Messi) a “nightmare” and a “humiliation”. The Spaniard had highlight the implications of becoming the shock penalty got them off to a great start, but I was already been hailed as a tactical genius last month when his European fall guys. “It is the entire PSG project that is calmer because I could see the team was responding French champions stunned mighty Barca 4-0 in Paris in threatened by this humiliation,” it said. Emery, mean- better, were better positioned on the pitch and could the first leg of their last-16 tie. But on Wednesday while, said PSG were damaged by German referee do damage. night, in front of almost 100,000 people at the Nou Deniz Aytekin’s decisions to award two penalties to “We had chances to make it 3-2 and then the refer- Camp, PSG shipped three late goals in an incredible Barcelona-both in the second half. eeing decisions, I don’t know if they were right or not, last seven minutes as Barcelona completed the great- but for sure they damaged us. Then in the last two est comeback in the history of the tournament, win- Unacceptable mistakes minutes we lost everything we had recovered in the ning 6-5 on aggregate. “When you win 4-0, then lose 6- converted the first penalty on 50 min- second-half. “Barcelona are capable of this in their sta- 1, it’s very hard to accept,” said PSG president Nasser utes to make it 3-0, before PSG’s Edinson Cavani scored dium. In the last few minutes they played all or nothing Al-Khelaifi, the Qatari official whose country has what looked like a crucial away . But , after and they have beaten us.” PSG’s Belgian defender poured millions of dollars into the French club. scoring an 88th-minute free kick, tucked away the sec- Thomas Meunier blasted his team-mates for allowing “Everyone knows that the quarter-finals were an ond penalty in the 91st minute before Sergi Roberto Barcelona to bully them. “At 5-1 down, we were quali- objective and after winning the first leg 4-0 that aim got the vital goal in the fifth minute of injury time. “The fying but we conceded a goal that we should not have was confirmed. “This is a nightmare for everybody. Is truth is we have let a huge opportunity get away and conceded,” he said. —AFP

Wenger will weigh fans’ Barcelona hailed feelings over his future

LONDON: Arsene Wenger will take into consideration the views of angry Arsenal supporters when he decides as ‘living legends’ whether to remain at the club beyond the end of this sea- son. Wenger endured calls for his resignation before and after Tuesday’s humiliating 5-1 defeat against Bayern BARCELONA: Barcelona were hailed as Munich in the Champions League. The Gunners’ heaviest living legends yesterday after Neymar home loss since 1998 ensured their seventh successive last helped the Spanish giants pull off a Nou 16 exit from Europe’s elite club competition, sparking furi- Camp miracle with a dying minutes ous protests from supporters. Champions League win over stunned It is not the first time Wenger has been subjected to vitri- Paris Saint-Germain. The Brazilian for- olic abuse in recent years as the Frenchman’s failure to ward played the game of his life as build a title-winning team since 2004 continues to frustrate Barcelona made up a 0-4 first leg deficit fans. Wenger, who has been in charge at Arsenal for 21 by winning 6-1 in front of nearly 100,000 years, is yet to confirm he will accept a reported two-year ecstatic fans at the stadium contract extension and speculation has grown that he will for an astonishing 6-5 aggregate tri- quit when his present deal expires at the end of the season. umph. “You have become legends,” With Arsenal’s Premier League title challenge in tatters, the headlined the Barcelona Sport daily 67-year-old plans to contemplate his future a while longer while El Munda spoke of the ‘miracle of a and the fans’ opinions will play a small role in that decision. lifetime.’ Neymar presided over a final Asked whether he would consider the crowd’s displeas- seven minutes that plunged PSG into a ure when deciding his future, Wenger said: “Yes - you con- waking nightmare. He scored an 88th- sider. It is not the most important factor to consider of minute free kick and a penalty in the 91st course. “I don’t work for my image, I work for this club. How I before setting up Sergi Roberto’s clinch- look is not really my problem. “I have shown since I have er in the fifth minute of injury time, seal- been here, I have shown I love this club and am loyal to this ing the 6-1 win. club. “I think I have made the right decisions and respect the The result sent the Spanish giants BARCELONA: Barcelona’s Argentinean forward Lionel Messi celebrates their values of this club. “I have worked for 20 years to make our storming into the quarter-finals and left victory at the end of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg foot- fans happy and when we lose games I understand they are PSG in tatters. “I know that we have ball match FC Barcelona vs Paris Saint-Germain FC at the Camp Nou stadium in not - at certain times you have to accept different opinions.” made history. A team like this can do Barcelona on March 8, 2017. — AFP anything,” Neymar told BeIN Sports. United Germany’s football bible, Kicker, spoke of of this. After the game, we are all upset,” age,” said the Spanish coach. “We had Arsenal winger Theo Walcott had hinted this week that a “night of magic” while Bild said simply said the Qatari. chances to make it 3-2 and then the ref- there was some unrest amongst players and staff at the “Barcelona move mountains...” The And PSG defender Thiago Motta’s ereeing decisions, I don’t know if they club. Walcott’s comments followed on from reports of a French press scrambled to find words night went from bad to worse after he were right or not, but for sure they dam- training bust-up involving Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez harsh enough to describe PSG’s shame. hit a supporter with his sportscar after aged us. Then in the last two minutes we and his team-mates after the Chilean was surprisingly “Crushed, trampled on, humiliated,” said flying back home yesterday. Around 30 lost everything we had recovered in the dropped for last Saturday’s defeat at Liverpool. Wenger Le Figaro newspaper while L’Equipe supporters were waiting for the players second-half.” Despite Luis Suarez’s early brushed off talk he has told his players he is leaving soon sports daily said “Indescribable.” The win as they emerged from Le Bourget airport opener, a Layvin Kurzawa own goal and and insisted his team still has a strong bond.”I think a lot recalled Manchester United’s injury-time outside Paris. In chaotic scenes, Italian Lionel Messi’s penalty, Barca looked has been said about that is exaggerated,” he added. “We double to win the 1999 title against international Motta’s car accelerated as down and out when Edinson Cavani have a good united group in terms of the group. “In the Bayern Munich in the same stadium, and supporters and photographers obstruct- volleyed home what seemed to be the past it’s not always the team that love each other the most Liverpool’s victory in the 2005 final after ed the road. One man banged on the vital away goal for PSG. that are the best on the pitch. being 3-0 down to AC Milan at half-time. vehicle and was struck by the car. He was However, Neymar restored Barca’s “When you go through disappointing results you have “It is a difficult night to explain with taken to hospital but his injuries were belief as he firstly fired home a sensation- disappointment, but the best way to respond is to show words,” said Barca boss , minor, police said. al free-kick two minutes from time and how united we are on that front. “It is our job to be com- who will leave the club at the end of the then converted from the penalty spot. petitive and at this club that means being up there season. “It was a horror movie, not a dra- Went to pieces And substitute Roberto always. It’s about performing.” Amid claims Alex Oxlade- ma, with a Camp Nou that I have seen Emery admitted his team went to became the unlikely hero when he Chamberlain will ask for a transfer in the close-season, very few times as a player or coach. pieces in the final minutes, but said they stretched to turn home Neymar’s sub- Wenger said of the England midfielder: “I hope he stays “What defines this victory is the faith that were badly affected by the two second- lime chip over the defence, leaving the here. He is a very promising player. “He looks to have the the players and fans had.” The defeat half penalties given by German referee score 6-5 on aggregate as the crowd dis- values we want at this club.” Wenger had strongly criti- raised questions over the future of PSG Deniz Aytekin. “In the second-half it solved into ecstasy. “I threw myself at it cised refereeing decisions that went against his side in coach Unai Emery, as club president changed. The (Messi) penalty got them with everything,” Roberto told BeIN the Bayern clash and he continued to insist the contro- Nasser Al-Khelaifi ominously called it off to a great start, but I was already Sports. “We left Paris very down and now versial dismissal of Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny, “very hard to accept”. “This is a night- calmer because I could see the team was this is incredible. “We were prepared for for conceding a penalty when the Gunners led 1-0, was mare for everybody. Is Unai Emery still responding better, were better posi- all this. The fans were like 10 extra players the turning point. —AFP credible? This is not the moment to talk tioned on the pitch and could do dam- and in the end this is all for them.” — AFP