One night, one match, 96 minutes of a crazy scenario with multiple consequences. This March 8, 2017, Paris-SG is experiencing a nightmare. Barça, a waking dream. After the demonstration of the first leg (4-0), the Parisians suffered what bears the name of a now historic match, the comeback. Barça reverses everything and wins 6-1. Seven years later, an overview of the destinies of the major players in this unforgettable event.
Deniz Aytekin (arbitre, 45 moments)
He’s probably the man we talked about the most after the match. The German referee of this round of 16 return will have endured hell at the Camp Nou, carried by 96,000 supporters. He is quickly carried away by the emotions of a match like no other, feeling pressure from fans as much as players. His destiny changes that evening.
His credit was considerably weakened and he retired as an international referee in July 2022. From now on, he deals exclusively with matches in German competitions. Far from the pressure of big European evenings, he still carried the whistle during the “Klassiker” at the start of the season between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern (0-4). But he will never relive the intensity of the comeback, that’s for sure.
Unai Emery (Aston Villa, 52 ans)
This match marked his career. The one who hoped to “become the best coach in the world” during his time in the capital (2016-2018) will have left an indelible mark at the club. But not the one he was hoping for. Admired for his tactical success during the first leg, he is logically called into question for his management of the group during the return. He failed at the same stage the following season against Real Madrid (1-3, 1-2). His inability to make PSG progress on the European scene pushed him towards the exit, and he bounced back at Arsenal the following season.
But the challenge of succeeding legendary Gunners coach Arsène Wenger is too much to bear. He was fired at the start of the 2019-2020 season. Back home, at Villarreal, he led the yellow submarine to its best European results: a victory in the Europa League in 2021, his favorite competition (4 titles, record for a coach) and reached the semi-final of the Champions League after beating Bayern Munich (1-1, 1-0), a year later. He signed for Aston Villa, then in the midst of a results crisis, in October 2022. Currently 5th in the Premier League and qualified for the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League, against Lille, he is now the delight of the Birmingham club .
Edinson Cavani (Boca Juniors, 37 ans)
The striker scored the relief goal in the match at the Camp Nou. By reducing the gap to 1-3 in the 62nd minute with a superb volley, he thought he would validate his team’s qualification. Despite this failure, he remained at the club and was for a time the top scorer in the history of PSG, reaching 200 goals (he has since been surpassed by Kylian Mbappé, with 251 goals).
He left the capital after seven full seasons (2013-2020), adored by the supporters. His career continued across the Channel, with two decent seasons at Manchester United (59 matches, 19 goals). He did some freelance work at Valence CF, with very average performances (28 matches, 7 goals). The Uruguayan returned to South America at the start of the season, and joined Boca Juniors in Argentina. A way to rediscover the exciting atmospheres he experienced during his time at PSG. He has scored 10 goals in 26 matches, in all competitions.
Layvin Kurzawa (31 years old, PSG)
The time when the French left-back was a starter at PSG seems to go back forever. The evening of the comeback, he went through all the emotions. First scoring against his side at the end of the first period following a mix-up by the Parisian defense for the 2-0, he turned into a decisive passer for Cavani following a clever call on a distant free kick. But he hasn’t been on the pitch much since.
Holder for the first part of the 2017-2018 season, he was then barred by competition from Yuri Berchiche then Juan Bernat. Injuries (pubalgia, herniated disc) multiplied and even weighed down his loan to Fulham last season, which was already unsuccessful (6 matches, 2 goals). Under contract until June 2024, he only played 8 minutes this season, against Strasbourg (3-0) on the 9th day of Ligue 1. His only appearance in the Parisian jersey for almost three years. Far in the sporting hierarchy, it nevertheless ranks 16th in Ligue 1 salaries (€500,000 per month).
Luis Suarez (37 years old, Inter Miami)
As he has done throughout his career, the Uruguayan striker used his vices to put pressure on the referees during the match against PSG. But it also weighed on the meeting. First scoring from the 3rd minute, he constantly hampered the Parisian defenders. And it is he who makes the pass towards Iniesta on Kurzawa’s own goal. At the end of the match, his slightly exaggerated fall on contact with Marquinhos caused the penalty to make it 5-1.
Center forward of the infernal “MSN” trio (Messi-Neymar-Suarez), he left Catalonia to join Atlético de Madrid between 2020 and 2022 (83 matches, 34 goals). He notably won La Liga in his first year with the Colchoneros. After leaving his mark on the European continent, he returned to the club where he started, in Uruguay, at Club Nacional. Half a season and then leaves, towards Brazil and Gremio Porto Alegre. There, he continued to be an ultra-decisive player, with 26 goals in 53 matches. He brought his team, promoted, to second place in the Championship. The Bola de Ouro, title of best player of the season, goes to him. He goes to Inter Miami at the end of December 2023 and reunites with his friends from an unforgettable evening, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Lionel Messi. In 10 matches this season, he has scored 7 times and given 5 assists…
Neymar (32 ans, Al-Hilal FC)
“When we beat PSG with Barcelona, it was completely crazy. »“I think this is the best memory for all of us. » It is with these words that Neymar described the famous evening of March 8, 2017. He had used his technique to guide his teammates. His deep call was stopped by Thomas Meunier’s slip and led to the first penalty of the evening (3-0, 50th). Then he was the major player in an irrational end to the match.
Scorer on a sublime free kick (4-1, 87th), he converted the penalty 5-1 three minutes later. At the end of added time, the Brazilian served Sergi Roberto perfectly with a lofted pass for the qualifying goal. A few months later, he signed for… PSG and would experience a tumultuous adventure within the Parisian club. Sparkling during his first months, he was then overtaken by injuries and controversies of all kinds. He, who dreamed of the Ballon d’Or and glory in the City of Lights, left through the back door in the summer of 2023 with the Saudi club Al-Hilal. Victim of a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament and a tear of the meniscus of the left knee during Uruguay-Brazil (2-0), he only played 3 Championship matches, for one goal.
Sergi Roberto (32 ans, FC Barcelone)
He was the man for a night, the last scorer in a crazy match. Entering the game in the 76th minute, the Barcelona midfielder scored the qualifying goal in the final seconds of the match. The goal that made this confrontation into legend, and him with it.
With goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, they are the only two players from the comeback to still play at Barça. With his long-time club (366 matches played, including 17 this season), he plays regularly but has never established himself as an indisputable starter. For supporters, he will remain the one-night scorer for eternity.
