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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Samuel Meade

PSG's "unspeakable" Barcelona collapse led to Unai Emery complaint and vandalised cars

"Unspeakable" read the headline of L'Equipe the morning after PSG lost 6-1 to Barcelona, which sent them crashing out of the Champions League.

Three weeks earlier they'd waxed lyrical about the Parisians, handing Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez player ratings of 2/10 as the French side won the first-leg of their last 16 tie 4-0.

How quickly things change as three goals in the space of seven minutes completed surely the greatest European comeback in history.

Barcelona were all but out after losing at the Parc des Princes.

Yet, when Lionel Messi made it 3-0 after 50 minutes in the return-leg fans started to believe. That was until Edinson Cavani volleyed home a crucial away goal on the hour.

PSG hadn't conceded four goals all season, so to ship six seemed scarcely believable.

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Neymar scored twice late on before Sergi Roberto's now iconic stretch completed the revival and sent the Nou Camp into raptures.

Parisian President Nasser Al-Khelaifi said: "It's a nightmare for everyone. Three goals in seven minutes is very difficult. Everybody is upset but now is not the time to talk about it."

If this had been a bump in an otherwise faultless season then maybe it could be written off as a freak night. Just one of those things.

But the reverse came during Unai Emery's first season, during which PSG were trying to acclimatise to life post-Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Their Champions League campaign had seen them qualify from the group as runners-up after being held to a draw by Bulgarian minnows Ludogorets.

In Ligue 1 they were playing catch up to Monaco, who would go on to win the title.

Emery's demeanour on the touchline was that of a man who knew scrutiny, the levels of like he had never known, was going to come his way.

He would have few answers. Contrast that with the mood in the Barcelona camp.

Unai Emery was left to rue his side's exit (Getty)

"It's the best match I have ever played in my life," said Neymar.

His boss Luis Enrique claimed: "I left some ligaments on the pitch but it was worth it."

Whilst centre-half Gerard Pique interestingly quipped: " Hospitals should hire nurses in nine months' time because there will be a lot of love."

The momentous night in Catalunya would cover up a team in decline. Enrique was leaving in the summer, Real Madrid would capture the LaLiga crown and Juventus would dump Barcelona out in the next round.

In Paris the fallout reached new levels.

Attention was deflected onto referee Deniz Aytekin as PSG wrote to UEFA regarding his performance.

They felt Barcelona's task was made notably easier by a number of questionable decisions from the German official. They submitted an official complaint to UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, citing decisions that went for and against them.

Emery has since claimed the only thing he would change from that night is the referee himself.

That was little solace to the Parisian fans however, who waited for the team's flight to arrive at Le Bourget Airport.

They heckled the PSG players as they attempted to leave, before violence broke out.

PSG's players fell short domestically and in Europe (Michael Regan)

"These individuals verbally insulted the players before vandalising their cars," read an official PSG statement. "Several vehicles were damaged.

"In this extremely hostile and aggressive climate, all vehicles were escorted to ensure the safe passage of the players, their families and club staff members.

"One individual was struck by a car trying to escape the crowd that was physically threatening the players and their families."

PSG would make it to the end of the season with two domestic cups to show for their efforts. Emery would survive the barrage of criticism and oversee a historic summer transfer window.

Neymar, who scored two of Barcelona's six, was not perturbed by the French club's collapse amid accusations of mental fragility.

He made a world record £198m move to the Parc des Princes that summer as he sought to lead PSG to their much coveted first Champions League crown and, in the process, a Ballon d'Or.

Neither goal has been achieved whilst Barcelona spurned a golden opportunity to again rule Europe in 2019 as they, once more, lost a crucial game 4-0. This time to Liverpool.

March 8, 2017 was a night that magnified one team's deficiencies and another's character. Questions about both still exist five years on.

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