Football
Jonathan Johnson, PSG correspondent 5y

PSG needed winter 'recruits' regardless of Coupe de la Ligue loss - Tuchel

Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel believes that Wednesday's Coupe de la Ligue quarterfinal exit at the hands of Guingamp has changed nothing regarding the January transfer window, saying the deposed titleholders needed to and still need to sign new players to remain competitive.

A rare Neymar header had put PSG in front at Parc des Princes but Yeni Ngbakoto and Marcus Thuram penalties in a match that saw Guingamp awarded three spot kicks resulted in a shock 2-1 win for the Bretons and an end to Les Parisiens' 49-game domestic cup winning streak.

"We did not need to lose to know that we must recruit," said Tuchel post-match after a first cup loss since early 2014. "We were overconfident. It is hard to lose to three penalties -- strange, even. I am angry about the second one -- it is not a penalty, simply impossible.

"We were overconfident, and we lacked the hunger to finish them off, despite having the chances to do so. We have lost a shot at a trophy, so that is a tough blow for us. There are things to work on. Throughout the match, we were too relaxed."

Defender Marquinhos, who was asked to fill in as a makeshift defensive midfielder again and withdrawn at half-time, echoed Tuchel's disappointment and rued lost silverware.

"We are all disgusted to have lost, especially in one of the cups," the Brazil international said. "It is not just a defeat, it was an opportunity to win another title."

Midfielder Marco Verratti was also disappointed but underlined the "weird" nature of the encounter as Guingamp won three penalties in just over 30 second-half minutes.

"Yes, we wanted to reach the semifinals, but we have not managed to do so," said the Italian. "It was a weird match, in my opinion. We did not concede many chances, yet we gave up three avoidable penalties."

PSG will now head to Amiens in Ligue 1 on Saturday before flying to Qatar for a mid-season training camp in Doha.

^ Back to Top ^