Björn Kuipers was the bitten dog at Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday evening after the elimination in the semi-final of the Champions League by Manchester City. Ander Herrera said afterwards that the Dutch referee Leandro Paredes had insulted, while Marco Verratti himself says he was insulted. Leonardo, PSG’s technical director, calls Kuipers’ insults’ so clear that he does not elaborate on them ‘, while trainer Mauricio Pochettino alludes to a UEFA investigation
“We’ve talked about the referee’s insults. It is so obvious that I will not go into it further. It’s a shame. I think there were a lot of situations that he did not handle properly, ”says Leonardo in conversation with RMC Sport. Kuipers sent Ángel Di María with a red card from the field. According to Herrera, Kuipers said to Paredes ‘fuck off’, while the leader would have said to Verratti ‘fuck you’.
View the incident between Fernandinho and Ángel Di Maria here
Trainer Mauricio Pochettino kept himself somewhat on the flat afterwards. “This is what the players say happened on the field and if it does, maybe UEFA should start an investigation. We cannot change the result with that. We have to focus on the future, prepare the team to improve the last games of the season. The way we dominated the two games against Manchester City gives hope for the future. Of course the supporters are disappointed, that also applies to us. But we gave everything and that is why I am very proud of the players. ”
His colleague Pep Guardiola is asked afterwards if PSG lost the head in the final phase. “They are real winners, they made it to the final last year and normally they become champions every year. They fought to the end. Marco Verratti is a good example, as are Paredes and Neymar. We had to defend well and that is why we are now in the final of the Champions League ”, says Guardiola. Riyad Mahrez, on the other hand, says that PSG did lose the head. “They started kicking and after the red card it was easier for us.”
However, if it had to Arsène Wenger, Manchester City would also have ended the game with ten men. “PSG ended both games with ten men. So it repeats. That is an important aspect in top matches ”, Wenger analyzes at beIN Sports. In the first leg, Idrissa Gueye received a red card. “On the other hand, you cannot approve of Fernandinho’s behavior during this match. It’s provocative. If you send Di María off the field, you also have to send Fernandinho away. ”