No shame in losing to Real, says Emery
PARIS — Beleaguered Paris Saint-Germain coach Unai Emery said there was no shame in losing to Real Madrid after the expensively-assembled French side crashed out of the Champions League on Tuesday.
“To be eliminated in the last 16 is a disappointment, but to lose against Real Madrid is not.” said the Spaniard, whose side, shorn of the injured Neymar, lost 2-1 in the second leg of its last-16 tie.
“Real deserved to go through. There is no other analysis,”
Cristiano Ronaldo and Casemiro scored the goals for Real in the second half, either side of Edinson Cavani’s scrambled effort for the host.
The loss condemned PSG — which had Marco Verratti sent off in the second half — to a 5-2 aggregate loss, the second straight season it has been knocked out in the last 16 after a humiliating loss against Barcelona a year ago.
“The objective was the Champions League. Now is not the time to think about the future,” said Emery, whose contract is up at the end of this season.
PSG has not made it past the quarterfinals of the Champions League since Qatar Sports Investments bought the club in 2011 and started to lavish huge sums of money on players.
It took its spending spree to a whole new level last year, spending a world-record $264 million to sign Neymar from Barcelona and committing $200 million to sign Kylian Mbappe from Monaco.
Once again it has fallen short, but despite the crushing nature of another premature exit from Europe, Emery is confident the Qatar-backed club will eventually go all the way in the Champions League — even if it is without him at the helm.
“We all want it to be quick and fast, but I’m convinced PSG can do it,” he said.
“It’s sure that we will continue, as much as patience allows, to build a team that can win in the future. When I came here I said I was sure this team can win the Champions League. But it’s a process.
“It could be next year or a year after that. But PSG fans will see in the future, that the team can win it and then win many times.”
‘Perfect match’
Emery, like midfielder Adrien Rabiot, said the 3-1 loss in the first leg ultimately left his team with too much to do in the return.
Ronaldo was the hero of the tie for Real, once again shining on the European stage.
After his brace in the first leg at Santiago Bernabeu, his 51st-minute header at Parc des Princes effectively killed the tie.
Madrid marches on, still in contention to win the Champions League for the third season running.
“We played well right from the beginning, pressing high up the pitch,” said coach Zinedine Zidane, who had been under pressure just a few weeks ago but has come out of this tie with his position strengthened.
“It was a perfect match. It is not easy to come and win here.”
The quarterfinals in April await Real, keeping its season alive given the club trails La Liga leader Barcelona by 15 points and is and out of the Copa del Rey.
“It is true that we have had difficult moments during some league and cup matches, but that’s part of football,” said Zidane.
“Over the last two years these players have won so much, but it is difficult to maintain that level.”