Paris Saint-Germain: Who is to blame?
Well...this has been coming for a few seasons, hasn't it?
After once again managing to embarrass themselves in the UEFA Champions League, we at 90min HQ have decided that Paris Saint-Germain are finally 'Who is to Blame?' worthy.
Here's the 30 things, people, adverts, kits, etc. to blame to PSG's inability to conquer Europe.
30. Selling fly fishing equipment on their club website
Yes, Paris Saint-Germain are selling fly fishing equipment.
It's not neccesarily to blame for their Champions League exit, but we thought it was worth pointing out.
Blame rating: 0/10
29. This ad
'Welcome to flight number 4-3-3'.
Dear lord.
Blame rating: 0.433/10
28. Paul Pogba's brother and the witch doctor allegedly used to curse Mbappe
So, here's a thing that exists.
Paul Pogba's brother, while being under investigation for blackmail and extortion, alleged that his superstar sibling hired a witch doctor to curse Kylian Mbappe ahead of Man Utd's 2019 clash with PSG.
Here's what Mathias said about it all: "The turning point came with the World Cup in 2018, where Paul had more faith in the witch doctor than in God, entrusting the witch with a big task in order to help the French team win.
"The witch doctor would go on to tell Mam’s [an intermediary] that the job had already been done, and that was when Mam’s would start to be scared. After that, Paul continued with his witch doctor, notably in the Champions League to ensure that Manchester United would go through against PSG.
"At the request of Paul, the witch was told to neutralise Kylian Mbappe, who back then was on a rapid rise, far outstripping Paul’s fame. It was strange to see that during that match Kylian was a shadow of himself against a reserve side."
Blame rating: 1/10
27. Zlatan Ibrahimovic thinking he's a lion
It's just a bit odd.
Blame rating: 1.5/10
26. LOSC Lille
The team that won Ligue 1 during one of Poch's seasons as manager.
LOSC Lille denied PSG the chance to break Lyon's record of winning seven consecutive league titles.
Ouch.
Blame rating: 2/10
25. Air Jordan
Great Air Jordan kit guys. It's a pity you once conceded goals to Daniel Sturridge and James Milner in 2018 while wearing it.
Blame rating: 2.3/10
24. Marco Verratti being the defensive equivalent of a training ground cone
Per WhoScored, Marco Verratti was dribbled past a UEFA Champions League record number of times during the second leg defeat to Bayern Munich.
Do more. Do something. Do anything, Verratti.
Blame rating: 2.7/10
23. Erling Haaland's goal celebration
Allowing a 19-year-old's goal celebration to live this rent free in their heads in 2020 was astonishingly odd.
Blame rating: 3/10
22. Sergi Roberto
The man who scored the winner in Barcelona's remarkable Remontada win over PSG at Camp Nou.
Blame rating: 3.61/10
21. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Manchester United were bad while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was at the wheel. Full-on bad.
And yet, the Norwegian was able to mastermind a dramatic comeback win over PSG in the Champions League thanks to a penalty in the final five minutes of a game at Parc des Princes.
Solskjaer is proof that it doesn't really matter who you are, you can still beat PSG in the Champions League.
Blame rating: 3.7/10
20. Karim Benzema
The 2022 Ballon d'Or winner single-handedly dumped PSG out of the Champions League during their first season with Messi on the books.
Blame rating: 3.9/10
19. Mauro Icardi
Signed for a reported €60m after a successful season on loan at Parc des Princes, Icardi proved to a disaster during his time as a permanent PSG player.
Scoring just five goals during the 2021/22 season, he was in the headlines more for his dramatic relationship with Wanda Nara than his performances on a football pitch.
Blame rating: 4.4/10
18. Mauricio Pochettino
So just how bad was Mauricio Pochettino at PSG, you ask?
Well, let's just say that PSG didn't win Ligue 1 in one of the two seasons he was the manager.
Blame rating: 4.8/10
17. Gianluigi Donnarumma's lack of ability with a ball at his feet
There's no way Donnarumma should be as bad on the ball as he is.
There's no way a top European club can afford to have a goalkeeper this bad on the ball in their lineup in 2023.
He needs to improve on the ball or he'll never be the 'new Gianluigi Buffon' that's been touted to become.
Blame rating: 5/10
16. Presnel Kimpembe
A fine Ligue 1 defender on his day, but PSG need to stop pretending that Kimpembe is a player capable of playing for a Champions League-challenging football club. He's simply not good enough.
Blame rating: 5.2/10
15. Luis Campos
The man who signed Renato Sanches.
Need we say more?
Blame rating: 5.8/10
14. Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi's aversion to defending
Three incredible footballers. There's no doubt about that.
What there is doubt about, however, is having three attacking players who don't track back in one starting lineup. It doesn't work. It hasn't worked. It will never work.
Blame rating: 6/10
13. Christophe Galtier
He just hasn't managed to work the tactical conundrum out at PSG.
Granted, it is difficult due to how bloated the squad he's been given is, but there's no way a team with Mbappe and Messi in it should be as boring as this Paris Saint-Germain currently are.
It shouldn't be possible, and yet it is under Galtier.
'Impossible Is Nothing' we guess.
Blame rating: 6.2/10
12. Kingsley Coman
The PSG youth product who scored a UEFA Champions League final-winning goal against Les Parisiens in 2020.
Blame rating: 6.4/10
11. The million mid-table midfielders who have played for PSG
Renato Sanches.
Leandro Paredes.
Fabian Ruiz.
Danilo Pereira.
Ander Herrera.
Julian Draxler.
Pablo Sarabia.
Literal Idrissa Gana Gueye.
These players have, or currently, play for PSG. A team who employ footballers like this shouldn't be considered a serious football club.
Blame rating: 6.8/10
10. Benfica
Benfica topped PSG's Champions League group this season, which led to PSG having to face off against Bayern in the round of 16 while Benfica faced off against a team managed by Scott Parker.
Blame rating: 6.9/10
9. The decision to let Angel Di Maria leave
One of the main reasons why PSG lack the ability to press teams high up the park is their decision to let Angel Di Maria leave as a free agent in the summer.
He's still a quality player who is still capable of contributing at the highest level - as his goal in the World Cup final attests.
Blame rating: 7/10
8. Neymar at Barcelona
The architect of Paris Saint-Germain's biggest ever Champions League bottle job.
Neymar put in a career-best performance to dash PSG's hopes of winning the 2017 Champions League and their hopes of not being the most meme-able football club in the world.
Blame rating: 7.2/10
7. Neymar's misses in the 2020 Champions League final
The 2020 Champions League final was decided by one goal and a multitude of missed chances.
The goal came courtesy of Kingsley Coman, and misses came courtesy of basically every PSG player. The main culprit was perhaps Neymar, who spurned two brilliant opportunities that a player who cost nearly a quarter of a billion would be expected to convert.
Blame rating: 7.7/10
6. Leonardo
During his first spell as Sporting Director, Leonardo oversaw quite a successful transition for the club from upper-mid-table Ligue 1 team to the undeniable best team in France.
His task during his second spell was to help make PSG the biggest team in Europe. To do that he signed literal Idrissa Gana Gueye.
Obviously that didn't work.
Blame rating: 7.8/10
5. Neymar's sister for throwing such unmissable parties
Fun fact: Neymar has either been injured or suspended for the game which falls around his sister's birthday (11 March) in every single season since 2015.
The birthday parties must be incredible. We at 90min would appreciate an invite for Saturday's bash.
Blame rating: 8/10
4. Neymar's ankles
By the end of the 2022/23 season Neymar will have missed 293 days of action for PSG due to ankle injuries.
That's bad.
Blame rating: 8.2/10
3. Ligue 1
We're not going to sit here and call Ligue 1 a 'farmer's league', but what we will say is that the lack of genuinely competitive games week in, week out against top level opposition has hindered PSG's ability to step up their performances in the Champions League.
That's all we'll say about the farmer's lea- I mean Ligue 1.
Blame rating: 8.5/10
2. The inexhaustible need to bottle the Champions League
The Barcelona embarrassment, losing to Demba Ba and Chelsea, being dumped out by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Manchester United, spurning a two-goal lead in 15 minutes against Real Madrid.
PSG have recorded some of the most stunning defeats in Champions League history.
Maybe there's just some sort of inexhaustible need to bottle these games?
Blame rating: 9/10
1. Qatar Sports Investment
The owners of the club and, ultimately, the people who decided that it was a good idea to go with a faux Galaticos model of having Messi, Neymar and Mbappe up front.
Did no one tell them that the Galaticos were actually massive failure at Real Madrid?
Blame rating: 10/10