So here it is, this very special week for Mauricio Pochettino's PSG, this "somewhat crazy situation" that the Parisian coach spoke of a few weeks ago to evoke "the world of football" in general and the context around the reception. from Angers, Friday evening, for the 10th day of Ligue 1, in particular.
In fact, for this meeting at the Parc des Princes, four days before the Champions League match against Leipzig, Paris will find itself deprived of all its South American internationals (Messi, Di Maria, Paredes, Neymar, Marquinhos) and of his Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas.
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Argentina's Angel Di Maria, Leandro Paredes and Lionel Messi drew 0-0 with Paraguay in the qualifying phase of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
- Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) October 8, 2021
The cause ?
The international calendar, which has found nothing better than to schedule qualifying matches at the 2022 World Cup almost head-on.
Thus, in French time, Costa Rica will face the United States on Thursday at 1 am, Argentina will receive Peru on Friday at 1:30 am and Brazil will be opposed to Uruguay on Friday at 2:30 am⊠A scenario worthy of the much-maligned duplicates to rugby.
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"What can you do to combat this?"
Pochettino had been asked when he mentioned this gruesome situation.
" Nothing.
Nothing at all !
He replied, laughing.
"The clubs, in a way, are defenseless in this type of situation," he added, looking concerned.
It is necessary to refer to the national federations, because it is in their interest and in that of the clubs.
It is clear that this is something to review in the future.
Because there is no balance, neither from an economic point of view, nor from such a sporting point of view.
There is an imbalance that must be reviewed.
"
Already a precedent against Clermont
This is not the first time this season that PSG have faced this problem. The reception of Clermont (4-0), on September 11, had already given rise to the same absences. Only this week, Pochettino has to face a new component. If he has, in fact, been able to count with the return of the French (Mbappé, Kimpembe) and Italian (Donnarumma, Verratti) internationals for the resumption of training this Monday afternoon, at the Camp des Loges, he will have to wait. for the others. Thus, this Monday evening, Kehrer and Wijnaldum were on the bridge with Germany and the Netherlands. This Tuesday Nuno Mendes, Danilo (Portugal), Diallo, Gueye (Senegal) and Hakimi (Morocco) will end in turn with this international break.
It will therefore not be easy for Pochettino to prepare for the meeting against Angers which follows the first defeat of the season in the league, in Rennes (2-0), on October 3.
Under these conditions, this will perhaps allow the Parisian coach to include in his group, for the first time of the season, Juan Bernat or Sergio Ramos, which would nevertheless constitute two major events of this first part of the season.
