Olivier Dacourt, former midfielder who played for AS Roma, Inter Milan, and the French national team (21 caps), spoke to Canal+ about Paris Saint-Germain’s recent struggles, particularly their lack of finishing, including missed penalties. According to him, the explanation is simple.
Dacourt said, “At some point, your brain breaks down, you’re finished.”
“They’re psychologically exhausted, they’re dead. Last year, PSG were unstoppable, in every aspect of the game. They didn’t have any injuries, but this year they have. So the squad can’t have much rotation.
They’ve won everything, absolutely everything! So inevitably, subconsciously, at some point, mental fatigue sets in. Even if you want to do your best, 150%, at some point your brain shuts down, you’re finished.
Dacourt: “I want to say that everything is fine.”
How long have we been talking about the Champions League in Paris? They won it, they reached the pinnacle. Coming back down, coming back down, isn’t easy. Teams that win the World Cup or the Euros, right after, there’s a period where it’s complicated because they come back down. They have a four-point lead in the league, they’re still in the Champions League, I want to…” “To say that everything is fine,” a statement relayed by ParisTeam.
It was repeated before the start of the season, but many forget it when “analyzing” the matches, even though it’s constantly being said: the context is tough for the Parisians. They didn’t have any physical preparation last summer, not even a real vacation. This comes at the end of a historic season, both in terms of results and the sheer number of matches played.
There are injuries that force some players to play continuously and disrupt the rhythm of those who are sidelined. It’s difficult to expect the highest level of collective performance over the long term. This is important for efficiency, which depends in part on clear thinking.
Dacourt also very rightly points out a point that is too often overlooked. Simply put, PSG is still having a pretty good season. Even without the circumstances, it would be far from negative. But with the difficulties they have to overcome, Paris is in a strong position. And they are very often dominating the matches. Less impressive than the end of last season, but it’s not a disaster.
It’s important to emphasize that PSG remain in a good position, and a bit more efficiency, along with a boost in confidence (which coach Luis Enrique says is somewhat lacking), could quickly restore the quality of their play.
