Real Madrid's epic comeback did not go down well among PSG fans, and the team's owner and coach surely made it clear once the game came to an end.
Les Parisiens dropped a two-goal lead over Los Blancos to bid farewell to the tournament, but team chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi was not going to accept that without having a word with those in charge of refereeing. According to a report by Movistar+, the French team's owner left his box at Santiago Bernabeu "furious" and headed to the referee's locker.
Spanish reporter Mónica Marchante revealed that Al-Khelaifi confused the ref's dressing room with the office of Real Madrid's delegate Megía Dávila, prompting security and team staff to try and take him away. Al-Khelaifi did the same during the first leg of this tie during the halftime break, having harsh words with referee Daniele Orsato back then. Al-Khelaifi's rage was prompted by an alleged foul by Karim Benzema against Gianluigi Donnarumma that led to Los Blancos' first goal.
Further reports emerging from people inside the stadium revealed that Al-Khelaifi's tantrum was filmed by a Real Madrid employee who was trying to stand up for the team's aforementioned delegate. Witnesses to the scene state that PSG's owner yelled "I'm going to kill you" at Los Blancos' employee, while also demanding him to delete the footage he had captured.
These reports have caught UEFA's eye, and football's governing body in Europe are already considering to open up an investigation regarding this incident, according to newspapers Marca and As.
The main problem for PSG is that Al-Khelaifi's example was followed by sporting director Leonardo and coach Mauricio Pochettino, with both men going on the record and venting their frustration against the referees.
"It's unfair because of the first goal we conceded. It was a clear foul by Benzema on Donnarumma. Our state of mind changed then and we were left out exposed. It was a killer blow, because we were better than them for the entire 180 minutes of the tie," Pochettino said.
Moments later, his words were replicated by sporting director Leonardo.
"It was a big blow. That first goal changed things. We were not able to find a grip on the game and that changed Real Madrid. It was the key moment. We have to live with our mistakes and with our inability to handle tough scenarios," Leonardo added.
Real Madrid will have to wait one more week to find out which team they will be facing in the Quarterfinals. On the other hand, it will be a long six-month wait for PSG to go back to playing Champions League football...maybe with another coach at the helm.
