Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino said it was “impossible” to discuss Kylian Mbappe’s future, after the French giant’s sensational Champions League exit to Real Madrid.
Mbappe looked to have fired PSG into an unassailable position after he magnificently slotted past Thibaut Courtois to put his side into a 2-0 lead on aggregate.
However, a 17 minute hattrick from Karim Benzema flipped the tie in Carlo Ancelotti’s side’s favour and sent PSG crashing out of the competition yet again.
Real Madrid ’s sensational comeback has only added further fuel to speculation linking Mbappe to a move to the 13-time European champions.
Nevertheless, the former Tottenham Hotspur manager refused to be drawn into questions about Mbappe’s future.
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“It’s simply impossible to discuss about it now, it’s not the right moment,” he told RMC Sport. “We’re really disappointed tonight.”
Mbappe is expected to swap the Parc des Princes for the Bernabeu at the end of the season.
The World Cup winner’s contract expires at the end of the season and the general expectation is that he will join the Spanish giants on a free transfer.
PSG have not given up hope of convincing him to commit his future to the club, but their humiliating exit at the hands of Real could be the final straw.
While PSG are cruising to another Ligue 1 title, the Champions League is the trophy which continues to elude them.
They were defeated by Bayern Munich in the 2020 Champions League final, while Manchester City saw the French side off over two legs in last season’s semi-final.
However, their defeat at the Bernabeu marks the second time in four seasons that they have not been able to progress past the Round of 16, having been astonishingly knocked out by Manchester United in the 2018-19 campaign.
And a crestfallen Pochettino believes the entire contest got away from them in ten crazy minutes.
"The first goal completely changed the game," Pochettino said. "For an hour, we were better than Real Madrid. The atmosphere changed in the stadium.
"We made some mistakes after that, we can't say we didn't. The worst feeling is that we were the better side, but we lost the tie in 10 minutes.
"PSG have been chasing the Champions League for a number of years now. I'm really disappointed, upset - but these things can happen. The next few weeks are not going to be easy."
PSG sporting director Leonardo has pleaded for calm and caution after his side’s untimely exit from the competition.
The Brazilian also stated Pochettino will still play a huge role in the French side’s season.
"We shouldn't throw everything in the bin," Leonardo told RMC Sport. "We shouldn't start from scratch after every loss. The objective is to win the Champions League, and until half-time we were fine.
"We have to look to improve this team and maintain morale to play in Ligue 1 and to finish the season well. We should stay together.
"Pochettino is still part of the project for this season. It's not the time to think about that."
