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Neymar, PSG left to regret missed chances as Champions League glory slips through their fingers

It’s 12.40 and Thiago Silva is the first Paris Saint-Germain player to get off the bus at the Myriad hotel in central Lisbon for the last time. Unlike his dreams, however, the captain is not holding the Champions League trophy. Instead, he heads to the hotel entrance, mask on his face, AirPods in his ears, white plastic bag with his shirt in hand … and seems to be carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. After eight years, Silva played his last match for the club. It will leave with great memories, but without the Holy Grail.

The rest of the team and the coaching staff follow him, like a funeral march. Thomas Tuchel is there, in the middle of the herd, still on crutches. Outside, fans who showed up to welcome their defeated heroes chant “thank you, Paris, thank you”. It is hardly comforting for Parisians after losing a cruel final. Almost none of them recognize the supporters. Neymar does it. He is the last player to get off the coach and offers a greeting.

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Inside the Myriad, a late dinner is ready, but most players go straight to their rooms. They will not be able to sleep. How could you? Ever since referee Daniele Orsato whistled the final, scoring Bayern Munich’s 1-0 victory, key moments have been repeated in their heads over and over again. Had they risked? Could they have defended better for Kingsley Coman’s winning goal? What if Marco Verratti was able to start? So many questions, so few answers.

There are also many regrets, of course. In the locker room after the final whistle, the comforting words of coach Tuchel, sporting director Leonardo or president Nasser al-Khelaifi, who at the end of the match told the players to be proud of them, were of little consolation. Neymar had tears in his eyes. The Brazilian sat next to Kylian Mbappe on one side, with Silva on the other. Both tried to comfort an inconsolable player. So far in Neymar’s career, the big finals have been his forte, most notably winning the Copa Libertadores (2011), the Champions League (2015) and the Olympics (2016). This time he failed and his performance was disappointing. He looked lost when he tried to save the game on his own as the clock counted down.

PSG had a great chance of making this final their own. They had to be super clinical. Instead, they were left to regret missed opportunities. What perhaps hurts the most is that it was their two superstars, their two princes, who failed. First Neymar and then Mbappe, one early and the other late in the first half. They could have become the kings of Europe right there, but Manuel Neuer was a colossus in Bayern’s goal.

On the opposite side of the room, Mauro Icardi is also quiet. The Argentine did not even get off the bench, just like in the semifinal against RB Leipzig, and like in both rounds of the round of 16 against Borussia Dortmund. A 60 million euro player sat on the bench. The big difference was that PSG really needed him in this game.

Tuchel instead chose Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, the savior in the quarter-finals against Atalanta. It was a decision that seemed to defy reason. While the manager’s tactical approach was effective for the first hour, his decisions following Bayern’s goal were questionable. Angel Di Maria should not have been replaced. Icardi should have entered.

Soon rumors surfaced – although they were never far off – that Tuchel would be fired. Officially, the line is that he will be on the PSG bench next season (or should we say this season, considering the 2020-21 Ligue 1 started Friday night?). That would be tough, considering he just took PSG to a first Champions League final in club history and after winning top nationals. He should have a chance to build on that.

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Craig Burley and Frank Leboeuf react after Bayern Munich won the Champions League final against PSG.

There are many positives to be drawn from this amazing 2019-20 season, even if they seem so far away right now. This team is finally a team. PSG took on a Bayern team that beat Barcelona 8-2 in the quarter-finals to the finish. They showed great solidarity and with some additions to the team they can come back stronger. When the best player in the opposition is his goalkeeper, your team’s performance must have great merit.

But there are things to fix. When Thomas Meunier agreed to join Borussia Dortmund on a free transfer, he also decided not to participate in the Champions League mini tournament. This proved to be a blow as Thilo Kehrer, who was to replace, was simply a center back playing as a right-back. With Silva now leaving, PSG need a high-level central defender to replace him. Even if Marquinhos returns to defense, this leaves a hole in the defensive midfield.

Leonardo will have to be intelligent and shrewd. It’s not going to be about signing a big name, it’s about signing the right name.

More important is that Mbappe and Neymar remain at the club. The club hopes to open talks on the extension of their contracts, which both expire in June 2022. But rumors of large money transfers to Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively will not go away. That PSG is on track could help convince the two forwards to sign.

The disappointment and frustration for the whole team right now will be huge, but they will come home with their heads held high. They made their club, their fans and their community proud. However, they have little time to think, as they face Lens away on Saturday at the start of their Ligue 1 title defense. Tuchel and his players will need to quickly overcome their Lisbon hangover and focus on the league. Champions League finalist or not, no one will give them a pass at home.

For now, this will be seen as a huge missed opportunity, but PSG must hope it will be the first of many and not just an isolated moment.

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