The announcement was expected. It will have allowed Paris-Saint-Germain, the space of a few moments, if not to forget all its other worries, at least to remove one of the (big) uncertainties which weigh on the club of the capital at this end of season.
After several months of incessant media buzz and long negotiations, the management of PSG has formalized the signing of a new contract with Neymar, which now binds the latter to the club until 2025.
The news of this extension of the Brazilian superstar, figurehead of the project to win the first Champions League in the history of the club, was unveiled on social networks just minutes before the press conference prior to his match. Ligue 1 against Rennes, which will take place on Sunday.
🤙❤️💙 # NeymarJr2025 https://t.co/nNKvR52c4O
But, if this maintenance of the presence of the Brazilian in its ranks relieves the club of the capital of a significant weight, it does not disappear – far from it – the strong pressure which weighs on him, a few weeks before the end of the season. Because PSG is faced with the risk of a failed exercise – on its own scale.
Tuesday, May 4, he saw his European dream fly, having been eliminated in the semi-finals of the Champions League by Manchester City. And, now, the club, triple reigning French champion, could see the national title elude him for the first time since 2017: for the moment, Lille is more than ever leader of Ligue 1 after its victory 3 goals to 0 in of the North derby against RC Lens, Friday May 7th.
“Three finals” to play
It is therefore cleared of the rumors of Neymar’s departure, but with the ball in the stomach, that PSG travels Sunday evening to Roazhon Park to face Rennes, in a decisive match for the end of its season. “An error can mean the loss of the title”, noted this Saturday the very stoic Mauricio Pochettino, coach of PSG.
Aware of the importance of the match against Rennes, Leonardo, sports director of PSG, turned directly to this deadline on Tuesday at the microphone of RMC Sport, despite the still fresh elimination against Manchester City: “ He [reste] three Ligue 1 matches [contre Rennes, puis Reims et Brest]. These are three finals. You have to keep your concentration. And win the points to be champion. “
“ The title is not up to us, but we have to win our match [contre Rennes] to put pressure on Lille “, confirmed Mauricio Pochettino. The Parisians are in fact no longer masters of their destiny, and a defeat against the Bretons on Sunday evening would condemn them almost definitively.
It would then be necessary to count on a misstep from Lille, who do not seem to stumble, led by an impressive collective force. Especially since the Mastiffs will face Saint-Étienne and Angers during the last two days: two opponents well within their reach.
The fear of a white season
Back to the wall, PSG sees the fear of a white season, without any title, which would be a first for the capital club since the 2011-2012 season, the beginning of the Qatari era. However, there is still the Coupe de France, another competition that PSG hopes to win this season. The Parisians will face Montpellier in the semi-final on Wednesday May 12.
Some time ago, winning against Rennes and HĂ©rault would have been obvious to Mauricio Pochettino’s players. But this 2020-2021 exercise has turned all convictions upside down as PSG has shown itself to be inconstant: losing at key moments in the league has almost become a habit, Paris having lost eight times in Ligue 1 – more than any other last season with Qatar Sports Investment at the helm.
“By extending Neymar, the club showed what their ambitions were in the short, medium and long term”, argued Mauricio Pochettino. After the thorny problem of the extension of the Brazilian, Paris and its sporting director, Leonardo, will also have to look at that of Kylian MbappĂ©, whose contract ends in a little over a year, and on possible arrivals , in a tense economic context.
But, whether or not PSG win Sunday night against Rennes, whether or not they are crowned French champions at the end of the season, they will have to change a lot of things this summer. The elimination in the Champions League against Manchester City demonstrated the chasm between the future finalist of the competition and Paris, one having teamed up while the other tried to rely on Neymar alone.
“Our challenge, as a team, is to put all individualities at the service of a collective [et de] build a team in this direction ”, insisted on Mauricio Pochettino. For Parisians, it starts on Sunday evening in Rennes.
Nantes can believe in maintaining, Lyon takes 3rd place
By beating the Girondins de Bordeaux 3-0 on Saturday 8 May at home, FC Nantes strengthened its chances of staying in Ligue 1. With this third victory in a row, the Canaries, eighteenth in the championship (out of twenty teams) at two days at the end of the season come back to a point from Lorient (17e) and Strasbourg (16e), the first non-relegation clubs in Ligue 2, and two points behind the Girondins. The latter, who had raised their heads by beating Rennes on the previous day, are again in danger: their 15e place is threatened by Strasbourg, host of Montpellier on Sunday.
Later in the afternoon, Lyon did not fail in the race for Champions League qualification. At Groupama Stadium, the Rhone residents won (4-1) against the Lorient who totally cracked in the second period. This victory allows OL to temporarily take the 3e place in Monaco, which the Lyonnais beat last week. The Monegasques will try to get back on the smallest step of the podium on the occasion of their trip to the lawn of Reims on Sunday.
Denis Ménétrier
