The fallout of Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League capitulation at Real Madrid has continued with Lionel Messi and Neymar affected by the wrath they have received by the club’s fanbase, admitted manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Messi and Neymar were greeted with a cacophony of boos throughout the French giants’ 3-0 home win against Bordeaux in Ligue 1 on Sunday.
When Neymar scored the second goal against rock-bottom Bordeaux the fans jeered him. Even when Messi embarked on a trademark run from deep and hit the post he got booed. The two former Barcelona stars were also on the receiving end of some hostile chants encouraging them to leave.
The reaction comes just days after PSG threw away a 2-0 lead on aggregate against Real Madrid in the Champions League last-16 second leg to be knocked out 3-2.
‘No one likes this context, it made me sad,’ PSG manager Pochettino said post-match on Sunday when asked about the boos.
‘Everyone who loves PSG is sad after the disappointment of Madrid. I’m sad with what I experienced today.’
Asked whether Messi and Neymar were affected by what happened, Pochettino was unequivocally in his response.
‘We were all affected. We understand the disappointment and the frustration.
‘We’re all living it together, as a team. We have a duty to take responsibility for what happened. We share this disappointment with the supporters.’
PSG are the runaway leaders in Ligue 1 once more and moved 15 points clear after Sunday’s win, but their supporters seek European success.
‘Obviously we understand, we understand their hate and their screams,’ PSG defender Presnel Kimpembe said.
‘We’re all to blame, not one more than the other.’
