'They Deserved to Go Through': PSG Boss Unai Emery Admits There's No Shame in Losing to Real Madrid
Paris Saint-Germain manager Unai Emery has said there is no shame in losing to Real Madrid, after his side were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League by Los Blancos.
Second-half goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Casemiro, either side of an Edinson Cavani strike, saw Real Madrid advance to the Champions League quarter finals on Tuesday evening.
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PSG were without an injured Neymar for the tie, and Marco Verratti's red card in the second-half made things go from bad to worse - as they eventually succumbed to a 5-2 aggregate defeat.
"To be eliminated in the last 16 is a disappointment, but to lose against Real Madrid is not. They deserved to go through. There is no other analysis," said Emery, per The Times of India.
The PSG boss, who is out of contract at the end of the season, said: "The objective was the Champions League. Now is not the time to think about the future."
PSG have not advanced beyond he quarter finals of the Champions League since Qatar Sports Investment bought the club in 2011. Emery firmly believes, though, that PSG can go all the way in Europe's biggest cup competition.
"We all want it to be quick and fast. But I'm convinced PSG can do it," he said.
"It's sure that we will continue, as much as patience allows, to build a team which can win in the future. When I came here I said I was sure this team can win the Champions League. But it's a process.
"It could be next year or after that. But PSG fans will see in the future, that the team can win it and then win many times."
However, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said after the game that he was disappointed with the result, and the reactions of some of his club's players.
"What disappointed me most was the elimination and reaction of a few players. We're not happy at all, we're very disappointed with the result.
"It's football, it's a very long process in the Champions League. We have time to think about what we need to change."
