Clashes between the players in PSG locker room before Bayern Munich match
Louis Campos, who works as an official sports adviser at Paris Saint-Germain but is believed to have a lot of influence within the club, allegedly slammed Christophe Galtier’s side in the face after Saturday’s 3-1 defeat away to title rivals Monaco in Ligue 1.
According to a report by L’Equipe newspaper in the wake of the second consecutive defeat suffered by Paris Saint-Germain, after they were knocked out of the French Cup by Marseille on Wednesday, Neymar was at the center of multiple clashes in the dressing room at Stade Louis II.
During Saturday’s match, the Brazilian superstar was said to berate his team-mates Vitina and Hugo Iketek for their sub-par performances as Neymar, 31, was reportedly unhappy with midfielder Vitina’s failure to pass him the ball in the right areas, while his partner The Ekitec striker – who played in the absence of Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi – made him furious with his poor decisions.
When the defeated players returned to the dressing room, Campos – who was appointed in the summer alongside coach Galtier to help reshape the club’s football department – shouted at the players and expressed his anger at what L’Equipe described as their “shameful attitudes” and lack of aggression. His criticism did not satisfy Neymar or his Brazilian compatriot Marquinhos, and the sharp clashes continued for several minutes.
The two players exchanged heated words in Portuguese, their native language and then argued heatedly with Campos, arguing that his criticisms were not the main problem behind the painful defeat and the altercation left many PSG staff surprised.
Not only that, Marquinhos clashed with Donnarumma. The Brazilian asked his teammates not to greet the ultras who went to Monaco, and the Italian did not show any interest in the team captain’s words, approached and greeted the fans. All this after they accused the players of non-compliance, which is why Marquinhos did not want to approach them.
Of course, the PSG fans were also dismayed, prompting Kimpembe to use a megaphone to try to ease tensions.
Kimpembe appealed to the angry fans: “The most important thing is that we remain united despite everything that is said and despite everything that happens, that is the message.” His pleas appear to have been unsuccessful, as 30 angry fans arrived outside the Parisian team’s training ground Sunday morning in a peaceful protest, according to reports in other places.
Galtier is now under increasing pressure at the Princes’ Park, with Bayern Munich approaching the last 16 of the Champions League. Paris Saint-Germain will host German giants on Tuesday in the highly anticipated first leg, which Galtier admits he is “worried” about, especially with Mbappe expected to be absent again and Messi still in doubt.
“There was a lack of intensity,” admitted the French coach in his downbeat post-match press conference. This is the current state of the team. I can’t hide behind it. The team’s status is like this. It’s strange but true. It is strange to say that as a coach of Paris Saint-Germain, but this is the current reality.
He added: “I am concerned about the match on Tuesday night. If I wasn’t, that would be dangerous. We’ll see if some of those who couldn’t start today will be able to play on Tuesday. We have a very weak team and we are worried. During this period, you need to stay clear. I understand the crowd’s anger. There is anger.”
Source: Mirror
