When Paris Saint-Germain fell 2-1 to RB Leipzig on matchday three of the UEFA Champions League group stage, there was plenty of criticism directed towards capital club manager Thomas Tuchel.
One of the many criticisms that the German manager received is over starting Marquinhos in the midfield and Danilo Pereira as a central defender. The Portugal international didn’t exactly call out Tuchel, but Pereira did state in his postgame interview that he’s not a defender.
Furthermore, even the Portugual National Team manager Fernando Santos provided his two cents on the matter where he stated that the 29-year-old is a defensive midfielder.
Now another Portuguese is providing his thoughts on the odd decision, but this opinion should carry more weight among Les Parisien supporters. In an interview with Record, former PSG striker Pauleta made it known that he disagreed with Tuchel’s tactics that placed Pereira as a defender and not in the midfield.
“Football is rich for this very reason: coaches have different opinions. Tuchel thinks Danilo can give more in defense and is a good option to compensate for the departure of Thiago Silva,” Pauleta said. “The most important thing is to play, but we all know his real place is in the middle.”
Tuchel is on the hot seat, and decisions like starting Pereira as a defender are why PSG sporting director Leonardo is mulling over the decision to sack their manager.
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