Paris Saint-Germain wanted to carry the momentum following their 1-0 first-leg win over Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, but that didn’t happen for the capital club.
The refereeing in PSG’s 3-1 loss to FC Nantes was at center stage. The capital club received six yellow cards on ten fours; meanwhile, Nantes was handed two yellow cards on 16 fouls.
Following the match, PSG sporting director Leonardo spoke with Canal Plus, where he tried to remain calm but still was critical of the referee in the game.
“I’ll try to be calm and breathe before I start. It’s not about losing; you can lose; Nantes deserved to win. We knew that after a Champions League match, there is this expectation in the stadiums. Paris is the team to beat, and the referee knows it. I’m not going to judge because he’s a person, but from the start, it was a strong game,” Leonardo said.
“You know the match is like that, and so you seek to control it and protect the balance of the match. We conceded two goals; it was deserved after the match was no longer controlled, against us and against Nantes too. Afterward, you risk having players who are out for three months for an injury like Kylian or like Neymar or Wijnaldum.”
