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PSG is unraveling as Draxler and Neymar almost throw down (Get French Football News)
It sure sounds as if Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel has lost the locker room. PSG played without Thiago Silva, Edinson Cavani, Neymar, Kylian Mbappé in its 3-2 loss to Nantes’ 3-2 and there was allegedly a bit of a halftime mutiny. PSG was not playing up to its normal standard and things boiled over after Thomas Tuchel took a blowtorch to his squad during the break.
Inside the dressing room, Thomas Tuchel got very angry at his players and used very harsh words at them. Words that members of the team felt were unfair at the time. Captain that evening, Presnel Kimpembe decided to speak to his teammates once the German had already quit the dressing room. The 23-year-old asked his teammates (to) “not to listen to what the manager had said,” and to “give everything in the second half”.
Meanwhile, Neymar and Germany international Julian Draxler are allegedly at odds as well and nearly came to blows.
Another incident involving Neymar is alleged to have occurred last week when PSG lost 3-2 to Montpellier thanks to a last-minute goal from Souleymane Camara. After the match, Julian Draxler criticized Neymar for his personal jibes. In front of the rest of the dressing room, the former Barcelona attacker took aim at the German: “Who are you to talk to me? You only ever pass the ball backwards.”
The atmosphere got increasingly spicy, forcing PSG Sporting Director Antero Henrique to forcibly separate the duo. In the space of a few days, Neymar, whose attitude is not always irreproachable, has made it clear that he is unhappy with the squad and who he feels the culprits are.
Ribery not opposed to Australian move (Fox Sports Australia)
Bayern Munich star Franck Ribery has not officially said “No” to a standing offer from the Australian A-League’s Western Sydney Wanderers. Ribery admittedly wants to play a couple of more years, but where he’ll do that remains a question.
At a press conference on Sunday, Ribery was asked directly about the possibility of joining coach Markus Babbel in Australia. Babbel, of course, was a defender for Bayern, Liverpool, VfB Stuttgart, Blackburn, and Hamburger SV during his playing days.
You know that I played football because of the fun and to enjoy it. I love football. If you play well, then you make yourself a great name and the money comes on its own. You earn money for what you did. I do not just play for money. But why not? Why should not I move to colleague Babbel? I do not know. There are many options. I’m not sure yet where I’m going. Everything must be right, also because of my family. We are one group - but we are many.
What an A-League signing this would be!
— ESPN Australia & NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) May 8, 2019
Departing Bayern Munich legend Franck Ribery says he's open to a Western Sydney Wanderers move next season. pic.twitter.com/fCyADlrUyZ
If you missed Marcus Iredahl’s phenomenal tribute piece on Ribery, you can check it out here.
ICYMI: The next podcast episode has dropped! (Bavarian Football Works)
The next edition of Bavarian Podcast Works has dropped, so give it a listen when you can. Thank you all for your support, be sure to rate, like and subscribe and hopefully, when you hear us again, there will be some silverware.
Madrid wants Bale gone before preseason tour (ESPN)
Yesterday we covered that Real Madrid let Gareth Bale know that he needs to move on, but now a timeline has been set in place. Los Blancos would like to sell off or loan out the Wales international prior to the start of the International Champions Cup tour.
Gareth Bale is no longer part of Real Madrid’s plans -- but his exorbitant wages could prevent him from leaving the Spanish giants, even though the club are intent on ditching him sooner rather than later. Marca report that Madrid want him gone by the time they head on their preseason tour in July. But that Bale’s €17m a year wages are a major stumbling block.
Bayern and Real Madrid, of course, will play on July 20th in Houston, Texas.
Rabiot linked to Bayern...again (@RBairner)
Football journalist Rob Bairner cited a piece by L’Equipe which detailed some potential landing spots for Paris Saint-Germain’s own Prodigal Son, Adrien Rabiot.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Bayern are all on the list, while Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, and Manchester United were all linked to Rabiot in the past.
Arsenal, Chelsea and Man City all want Adrien Rabiot, who will leave #PSG on a free this summer, according to L'Equipe.
— Robin Bairner (@RBairner) May 8, 2019
Liverpool, Tottenham and Man Utd held interest in the past.
Real Madrid and Bayern other possible destinations.
At this point, who wouldn’t want to get out of that PSG locker room? Surely, Rabiot is no angel either and has been at odds with the club all season.
PSG wanted Ozil, wants Thiago, but wants no part of Boateng (Sport Witness)
PSG wanted to make a move for Arsenal star Mesut Ozil back in January, but has now shifted its attention to Bayern’s Thiago Alcantara.
Contracted to Arsenal until 2021, Mesut Ozil remains a problem for the Gunners since there’s a sense they need to play him considering how much they pay him, yet he doesn’t always offer all that much. However, Paris United in France claim Antero Henrique, Paris Saint-Germain’s director of football, tried to convince Ozil to sign for the Ligue 1 champions in January. Needing midfielders and general squad depth, the French side have now turned their attention to other players, such as Napoli’s Allan, Ajax’s Donny Van de Beek and Bayern Munich’s Thiago Alcantara.
On a similar note, PSG is longer interested in Bayern defender Jerome Boateng.
PSG currently have no interest in Jérôme Boateng. Bayern had rejected a €38m offer from Paris for Boateng last summer [@cfbayern, SportBild] pic.twitter.com/BOsGhJUPCE
— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) May 8, 2019
At the root of a lot of the Bayern-related transfer rumors today is Sport Bild’s Christian Falk.
ICYMI: Not sure you could have missed this, but if you did... (@brfootball)
Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold’s heady play on a corner helped clinch his squad’s 4-3 aggregate win over FC Barcelona in the Champions League.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is 20 years old.
— B/R Football (@brfootball) May 8, 2019
This assist pic.twitter.com/fjeSTvG5dw