Ex-PSG coach Emery on infamous Barcelona collapse: One player was hiding

Former PSG coach Unai Emery has recalled their Champions League collapse at Barcelona three years ago.

Emery remembers Barcelona‘s 6-1 win over his PSG side as the worst moment of his career. In a chat with Granada coach Diego Martinez, Emery spoke about that game, criticising Deniz Aytekin, the referee.

“There are lots of details in that game that can be scrutinised,” explained Emery “But, starting from the end, I’d change the referee and that’s all.

“I watched a repeat of the game the other day because I found it while channel hopping. I watched it from the 50th minute until the 82nd minute.

“We were 3-0 down, we scored to make it 3-1 and we had a one-on-one that Cavani hit at the goalkeeper which would have made it 3-2, a clear penalty on Di Maria that wasn’t given and in the 82nd minute, Di Maria fouled Neymar for the goal.

“That’s when I stopped watching. In that part of the game, I saw one of our important players, who had had injury problems during the season, was hiding and maybe I would substitute him now (if I could). They are details, circumstances that escape you in a game.

“Then there are other key circumstances – the Barcelona players, especially Suarez, going down in the box continuously, pressuring the referee until he fell into their trap.”