Dark clouds over PSG title parade
Source: Agencies |
April 30, 2013, Tuesday
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PARIS Saint-Germain continued its march towards a first French league title since 1994 with a 1-0 win at Evian Thonon Gaillard on Sunday, yet the mood around the club is one of gloom not glory as its coronation approaches.
The victory took PSG nine points clear with four rounds remaining but the game ended on a sour note when Marco Verratti and David Beckham were sent off late in the second half and a mass brawl erupted after the final whistle.
Adding to the negativity surrounding PSG is the cloud of uncertainty hanging over coach Carlo Ancelotti's future at a club whose success has been fuelled by an outlay of more than 200 million euros (US$260.54 million) on transfers in two years.
"With Verratti and Beckham's red cards, it is true that we lost control by the end," Ancelotti was quoted as saying yesterday.
Verratti was given his marching orders when he picked up a second yellow card for arguing with the referee and the Italian midfielder was left feeling the wrath of Ancelotti as he trudged out. "I had warned him. He was supposed not to talk (to the referee). He has not understood that you need to be calm once you have a yellow card," Ancelotti added.
Sporting director Leonardo opted to blame PSG's ill-disciplined performance on match official Olivier Thual. "The referee lacked lucidity, he made a string of errors. The red card he handed to Beckham is really unfair," the Brazilian told daily Le Parisien.
Beckham was shown a straight red for what appeared to be a dangerous lunge at Youssef Adnane just six minutes after coming on as a substitute.
The pressure is now also on Ancelotti, who has to decide whether he wants to stay on after a one-year contract extension was triggered by the win that guaranteed PSG at least a second-place finish.
The victory took PSG nine points clear with four rounds remaining but the game ended on a sour note when Marco Verratti and David Beckham were sent off late in the second half and a mass brawl erupted after the final whistle.
Adding to the negativity surrounding PSG is the cloud of uncertainty hanging over coach Carlo Ancelotti's future at a club whose success has been fuelled by an outlay of more than 200 million euros (US$260.54 million) on transfers in two years.
"With Verratti and Beckham's red cards, it is true that we lost control by the end," Ancelotti was quoted as saying yesterday.
Verratti was given his marching orders when he picked up a second yellow card for arguing with the referee and the Italian midfielder was left feeling the wrath of Ancelotti as he trudged out. "I had warned him. He was supposed not to talk (to the referee). He has not understood that you need to be calm once you have a yellow card," Ancelotti added.
Sporting director Leonardo opted to blame PSG's ill-disciplined performance on match official Olivier Thual. "The referee lacked lucidity, he made a string of errors. The red card he handed to Beckham is really unfair," the Brazilian told daily Le Parisien.
Beckham was shown a straight red for what appeared to be a dangerous lunge at Youssef Adnane just six minutes after coming on as a substitute.
The pressure is now also on Ancelotti, who has to decide whether he wants to stay on after a one-year contract extension was triggered by the win that guaranteed PSG at least a second-place finish.
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