Thomas Tuchel praised the “almost perfect” match of his troops this Wednesday evening against Basaksehir Istanbul (5-1) at the Parc des Princes. All in unprecedented conditions after the postponement of the match for a day due to a racist incident between assistant coach Pierre Achille Webo and fourth referee, Romanian Sebastian Coltescu.
Is this a benchmark match for your season?
THOMAS TUCHEL. Yes maybe. But you know that every match requires questions. We have had a lot of difficult phases this season, especially in this Champions League campaign. There were also times when we played well without results. It’s almost easy to talk about a benchmark match now. The match was almost perfect, with and without the ball. We are happy to finish first in the group.
Looking back on Tuesday night, do you think the decision was the right one?
They made a strong decision. They showed their solidarity with the adversary. It took courage. In the locker room, it was clear that the players wanted to show this reaction. They are adults. I did not understand everything about the situation at the edge of the field. I haven’t heard everything. In the locker room, it was clearer. It was necessary to show this solidarity.
Does Neymar still manage to surprise you?
He needs rhythm. He was going through a difficult pass after the Final 8 in Portugal. He gave everything there. Then he had the Covid-19. He struggled to recover well and gain physical capacity. He feels better, he gets the rhythm back. Today he had a mixture of simple play, dribbling, decisive strikes. His performance is extraordinary.
How did you go about getting the squad back in the right direction for Wednesday night’s game?
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We did not try to force concentration on the athlete. We tried to stay calm. But we haven’t talked much about this situation. Today we had lunch together, not to mention the game. It was necessary not to force the sporting aspect. You had to understand the situation yesterday ( Editor’s note: Tuesday), understand the opinion of each player. It’s very important in a team that things more important than football take over. They showed that in the end it was possible to have a good game. We like sport, this game. They showed a good state of mind.
How do you judge the gesture of Neymar, who let Mbappé take a penalty?
It’s a great gesture. He gives this ball which would have allowed him a hat-trick. This is not trivial as a performance in the Champions League. He leaves the possibility for Kylian to end a bad streak. He thinks of his teammate, it proves his big heart. He knows how important it is for a striker to score.
