Jobs by JobLookup
jobs by JobLookup job search

PSG fans invade pitch for souvenirs after Champions League triumph

0








  Paris Saint-Germain supporters waited a long time to celebrate a Champions League trophy. When the occasion finally arrived on Saturday, thousands poured onto the pitch, with many taking home pieces of the goal and pitch as mementos of an unforgettable night.

PSG stormed to a 5-0 thumping of Inter Milan in a one-sided final in Munich, and after seeing their team lift the cup, large numbers of fans behind the goal streamed onto the pitch, with stewards struggling to maintain order.
Police formed a cordon to keep them from going any further than the penalty area, much as PSG had done with Inter for much of the night during the game in an utterly dominant display.
Many fans began tearing apart the goal net, while some ripped up parts of the pitch, with others intent on celebrating with the players who had just received the trophy.
Fans were not alone in wanting to take home a souvenir of the greatest night in their club's history, with PSG midfielder João Neves also seen cutting off a piece of what little was left of the goal net.
The PSG supporters created a deafening noise throughout the match and before kickoff as they roared their team on to victory. After the final whistle, they unveiled a huge banner in honour of Luis Enrique's daughter Xana, who died in 2019.
While the pitch invasion at the Allianz Arena was peaceful, in Paris, wild celebrations were marred by clashes with police.
Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi said he barely recognised his side as they fell to a deserved 5-0 defeat at the hands of Paris St Germain in the Champions League final on Saturday.
PSG captured their first Champions League title in devastating style, recording the largest winning margin in the competition's history.
The defeat marked a bitter end to a frustrating season for three-time European champions Inter, who fell short in three major competitions and finished without silverware.
“It absolutely didn’t feel like my Inter out there - and the players are the first to know it," said Inzaghi, whose side had reached the final with a thrilling 7-6 aggregate victory over Barcelona.
For Inzaghi, the loss was particularly painful, coming two years after his team suffered a narrow defeat against Manchester City in the 2023 final in Istanbul.
"I think PSG deserved to win," Inzaghi, whose side were last crowned European champions under Jose Mourinho in 2010, told reporters in a brief press conference.
"There is great disappointment and bitterness because the boys have had a great run this season, and it's hard to end with no titles. As a coach, I'm still proud. We're not satisfied with tonight's game. We approached it badly... We didn't play the final in the best way, but I thanked the boys."
PSG dominated proceedings, with teenager Desire Doue producing a scintillating performance, scoring twice and setting up Achraf Hakimi's opener, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and substitute Senny Mayulu also finding the net.
Inzaghi acknowledged his side's shortcomings, saying that Inter struggled to match PSG's intensity.
"We were more tired than PSG, who clinched the French title several weeks ago while we were fighting for the Serie A until the final weekend," Inzaghi said.
"We didn't play well technically, they got there first... We knew they were stronger than us, we knew we had to be better, but we fully deserved the defeat."
Inter must now regroup for the Club World Cup in the United States in June. Still, Inzaghi admitted the pain of losing the Champions League final would not be easily erased and he would not be drawn on whether he would still be with the club at the tournament.
"Heavy defeats and finals leave their mark. We must all start again together," he said.
"I won't answer that question (about the Club World Cup). I came out of politeness and respect for you, but this defeat hurts too much. You come out stronger from defeats; we've been through this before, and the following year we lost the Scudetto. I spoke to the lads and we need to hold our heads high, knowing that we came up against a stronger team who deserved to win."
 Paris St Germain coach Luis Enrique paid tribute to his team's supporters, whom he described as a 12th man, as they roared the French club to a long-awaited Champions League title and paid an emotional tribute to his late daughter Xana.
Desire Doue scored twice to lead PSG to their first European Cup triumph with a crushing 5-0 victory over Inter Milan on Saturday.
Enrique, visibly emotional after the final whistle and wearing a T-shirt with a tribute to Xana, who died of cancer aged nine in 2019, thanked the supporters who unveiled huge banners featuring images of his daughter.
When the match finished, he went to the stands to change into a T-shirt that showcased an illustration of Xana planting a PSG flag into the ground.
"I'm very happy," Enrique said. "It was very emotional at the end with the banner from the fans for my family. But I always think about my daughter."
The French side completely overwhelmed Inter from the opening whistle, drawing praise from Enrique for playing with high intensity, and he singled out Ousmane Dembele for putting in a tireless performance.
Enrique also said he remained calm despite the emotions, confident his young side had put in the preparations needed to handle the pressure that comes with playing in such a high-stakes final.
"A coach needs to control their emotions – you need to deal with the pressure to help the players," he said. "We prepared the final with the necessary calm to put the excitement in the right place. Now we can enjoy it; we can take the trophy back to Paris."
PSG's young team achieved what the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe could not do in their colours as they became only the second French side to win the trophy after Olympique de Marseille in 1993.
The victory made Enrique the second manager, after his former Barcelona teammate Pep Guardiola, to win the continental treble of League, Cup, and Champions League in one season twice, both winning their first with Barca and their second by beating Inter.
Enrique also thanked the Inter players for their sportsmanship for staying on the pitch after the final whistle.
"I want to congratulate Inter – all the players and staff," Luis Enrique said. "They showed us respect at the end; it's a lesson for everyone – you have to know how to lose."
 The following is the reaction after Paris St Germain thrashed Inter Milan 5-0 in the Champions League final in Munich on Saturday.
PSG coach Luis Enrique: "I think making history was a goal from the start of last season. I really felt a connection with the players and the fans, a very strong connection that we saw throughout the season. We were able to handle the tension and excitement in the best possible way."
PSG forward Desire Doue: “I have no words. That was just incredible for me, simply incredible. I have no words, sorry.”
“He’s (Luis Enrique) been here for two years and he has made history for the club. Tactically and mentally, he is a really good coach, unbelievable, and as a human being, too. It is a pleasure to work with him. I don’t know how we’ll celebrate, but it’s going to be crazy.”
Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi: "We finish with zero titles, but we were very good anyway. Future? We'll see you in the next few days with the club. After a final like this - the second one lost in three years - there's too much disappointment to try to think. There will be time to talk about it calmly with my club, which was with us again tonight and is always present.
“It absolutely didn’t feel like my Inter out there — and the players are the first to know it. But I’m proud of the journey we’ve taken. Tonight we faced a stronger team that deserved to win the Champions League.
PSG midfielder Vitinha: "It means everything. The fans are the main reason we wanted to win this trophy, but we wanted it for a lot of reasons. It’s our dream, it’s my dream, and I’m glad we made it.
"The win says a lot about this group of players. It’s a very good team, and the result is not by magic. Now we are going to celebrate."
PSG defender Marquinhos: "It's a mix of joy, of all the emotions we've spent together. I've suffered, but I've grown up with this team. I think of all the players who have come through and not succeeded. My idol Thiago, Lucas, Zlatan, Cavani, Di Maria. So many players who have come through here who deserved this and didn't succeed. Now we're here and we're bringing it home. I'm thinking of all the supporters who have been with us, those at the Parc and those around the world. I love you, enjoy it, and we're going to enjoy it here. This is the best day of my life. My family has been with me and has been through this with me... When we arrived, nobody believed we could go this far. It's been 12 years of hardship and suffering. I value this title too much, it's with us and we're bringing it home, I'm so happy."
PSG defender Achraf Hakimi: "We have made history, we have written our names in the history of this club. For a long time, this club deserved it, we are very happy. We have created a great family."
"He (Luis Enrique) is the man who has changed everything at PSG. Since he came here, he has changed the way football is seen. He is a loyal man; he deserves it more than anyone else."
PSG forward Ousmane Dembele: "It's pride. It's exceptional. Playing in a Champions League final and winning in style. Winning 5-0 against a team like Inter Milan is difficult. Our confidence grew from match to match.
"We knew that in this final we'd have to bring out the big game, great Paris St Germain. There's a lot of competition in this team, which means you have to give 100%, otherwise you're replaced."
Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella: "There’s a lot of disappointment because the image that remains erases the great journey we had. I’m super proud of this team, of what we put on the pitch. In the end, what stays in the history books are the trophies, but I’m really happy to be part of this team."
"Today, we have to congratulate our opponents, who wanted it more than we did. The first thing I said in the dressing room was that it hurts, and we’re all disappointed, but that’s football: you hope never to take a beating, but sometimes they come."

Post a Comment

Previous Post Next Post