{"id":293100,"date":"2023-10-10T17:44:43","date_gmt":"2023-10-10T17:44:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/?p=293100"},"modified":"2023-10-10T17:44:43","modified_gmt":"2023-10-10T17:44:43","slug":"kathryn-batte-psg-chaos-could-play-into-man-uniteds-hands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/soccer\/kathryn-batte-psg-chaos-could-play-into-man-uniteds-hands\/","title":{"rendered":"KATHRYN BATTE: PSG chaos could play into Man United's hands"},"content":{"rendered":"
Of all the difficult ties Manchester United could have been given in the Champions League, perhaps Paris Saint-Germain was not the worst.<\/p>\n
United, who are making their debut in Europe, face a two-legged qualifying tie against the French side – with a place in the group stage up for grabs.<\/p>\n
It will be tough for United to progress, there is no doubt about that. PSG are more experienced in this competition and have quality all over the pitch.<\/p>\n
But the chaos that has surrounded the club in the last few weeks, and indeed years, could potentially play into United\u2019s hands.<\/p>\n
PSG are no strangers to off-the-pitch problems. In November 2021, the football world was rocked when Aminata Diallo was arrested on suspicion of organising an attack on her team-mate Khiera Hamraoui.<\/p>\n
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Manchester United Women are preparing to make their Champions League debut on Tuesday night<\/p>\n
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They face a stern test against a PSG side who are more experienced in the competition<\/p>\n
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Marc Skinner’s side could take advantage of the chaos that surrounds Paris Saint-Germain<\/p>\n
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Diallo charged with aggravated assault last year and is accused of hiring two masked men to beat Hamraoui with iron bars.<\/p>\n
Both players have now left the club, but issues remain. At the end of last month Kadidiatou Diani, who left PSG for Lyon in the summer, filed a complaint for sexual assault against the club\u2019s former manager Didier Olle-Nicolle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
According to Le Parisien, Diani reported two instances of Olle-Nicolle touching her and other players\u2019 buttocks. The manager, who left the club before the 2022-2023 season, faced similar allegations in May last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The head coach’s lawyer told Le Parisien, as per GFFN that his client ‘has neither been heard nor summoned to explain the facts mentioned in this complaint’ and could file a complaint for slanderous denunciation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gerard Precheur was appointed manager following Olle-Nicolle\u2019s departure but endured a disappointing season, finishing six points behind league winners Lyon and crashing out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage.<\/p>\n
At the end of the campaign, Precheur criticised the club for a lack of investment. \u2018PSG must provide guarantees to build a great club,\u2019 he said. \u2018Being competitive is not enough. I want to finish my career with a desire to win.\u2019<\/p>\n
Precheur resigned at the end of September and his son, Jocelyn, who was previously assistant manager, has now taken over.<\/p>\n
It is a unique and unusual situation. PSG lost their first game under their new boss, a 1-0 defeat by Lyon, but bounced back with a 1-0 victory over St Etienne last weekend.<\/p>\n
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Jocelyn Precheur took control of PSG following the resignation of his father who had complained over a lack of investment<\/p>\n
The French club may still be favourites to progress to the group stage, but they will be as wary of United as United will be of them.<\/p>\n
\u2018Teams in England have a much harder qualification route than other teams. I’m sure PSG don’t want to be playing us right now,\u2019 United boss Marc Skinner said.<\/p>\n
With only 16 teams progressing to the group stage, several clubs have already been eliminated – including Arsenal.<\/p>\n
The first and second rounds of qualifying were split into two groups – the champions path and league path.<\/p>\n
United and PSG are in the league path along with other clubs who finished runners-up of their respective leagues.<\/p>\n
The other route contains teams that finished top of leagues outside the highest-ranked associations.<\/p>\n
As well as PSG, United could have been drawn against last year\u2019s runners-up Wolfsburg and Real Madrid.<\/p>\n
\u2018When I look at some of the teams who will make the group stages from the other section, it just doesn’t seem right,\u2019 Skinner continued.<\/p>\n
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Aminata Diallo was charged with aggravated assault last year and is accused of hiring two masked men to beat Khiera Hamraoui with iron bars – both players have since left PSG<\/p>\n
\u2018We could have got Wolfsburg as well which would have been an equally tough match. Real Madrid were in there, of course. I do think they are all tough teams in this side.<\/p>\n
\u2018Sometimes teams that finish third or fourth in this league are way better than some champions from other leagues.\u2019<\/p>\n
United will have to produce two strong performances if they are to progress to the group stage but Skinner is confident his team can rise to the occasion.<\/p>\n
\u2018We have to put everything in and have no regrets \u2013 I thoroughly believe in my team to, on their day, beat any team they play against,\u2019 Skinner said.<\/p>\n
\u2018I feel we are at that level. We still have a lot of growth to do \u2013 I\u2019m not saying we\u2019re the finished article by any means \u2013 but I\u2019m really happy with where the group is at, I think\u00a0we can beat any team.\u2019<\/p>\n
It’s All Kicking Off\u00a0is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football, launching with a preview show today and every week this season.<\/span><\/p>\n It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube , Apple Music and Spotify<\/span><\/p>\n Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\n