As soon as the final whistle was blown and Paris Saint-Germain had been eliminated, it didn’t take long for several pundits in French and English to be giving off their opinions about the latest UEFA Champions League disappointment.
CBS Sports’ Jamie Carragher wasted little time tearing into the capital club as the former Liverpool defender was happy to see them exit the tournament.
“I’m delighted that PSG are out,” Carragher said (h/t RMC Sport). “I just don’t like the whole setup – anything related to it. It’s not a team; it’s a mess. Five times in the last seven years, they’ve gone out in the round of 16. They’ve spent more money than anyone. They’ve got the best players in the world. It’s great because it makes you [see] how important it is to be a team. It’s really important in football. We like the individualities in a team, but it’s not a team.
“You can lose to Bayern Munich, of course, you can; a big name was going to come out. But being involved for as long as the Qatari owners – who are the state – have more money than anyone else in the world, buying the best players … and going out in the [round of 16] five times is a joke. It really is a joke.”
“He’s got to leave…The quicker he’s at Real Madrid the better”@Carra23 has his say on Kylian Mbappe. pic.twitter.com/80JT28HCZQ
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 8, 2023
Furthermore, Carragher provided some advice for French superstar Kylian Mbappe: Go to Real Madrid. The 24-year-old turned down the Spanish club last year to remain with his hometown side, but the pundit believes heading to Los Blancos will be what’s best for him.
“There is sometimes a lot of criticism around the property of Liverpool; some say they need someone with more money, that the Qataris must come,” Carragher continued. “It does not mean anything [if] there is no expertise in what you are doing. I have already said this about Kylian Mbappé: he must leave. They are far from winning the Champions League; I don’t think [it] will get better next [season] if this team stays. I just think the sooner he goes to Real Madrid, the better.”
As much as the criticism will annoy or even pain PSG, the club has no one to blame but themselves. Sporting advisor Luis Campos appears to be the right man for the job and the Portuguese club chief has to begin clearing out as much deadwood as possible while making some major changes to the squad this summer transfer window.