A rich club from the French League (Ligue 1), Paris Saint Germain (PSG) is one of the clubs in Europe that is inhabited by many talented players. The arrival of players such as Lionel Messi, Donnarumma, Sergio Ramos, A. Hakimi to Wijnaldum increasingly completes the PSG squad this season. However, PSG’s performance limped off this season and not as smooth as the expectation of the squad they have.
Besides having suffered their first defeat in the French League when they met Rennes, PSG was also faced with a dressing room situation. Apparently, it is not easy to arrange a dressing room which is dominated by talented players. What’s more, these players come from clubs, where they have played and played a dominant role in the team. The coach and team captain must have the ability to reconcile this situation. And, it is not easy.
This is even more evident with complaints from Wijnaldum. The captain of the Dutch national team began to feel uncomfortable at PSG. It can be said that Wijnaldum has shown signs of regret choosing PSG over Barcelona when his contract expired from Liverpool last season. Wijnaldum is one of the main mainstays of Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool. However, Wijnaldum chose not to renew the contract and chose to leave.
His initial destination was Barcelona. Ronald Koeman’s factor as a former coach in the Dutch national team was one of the reasons. Unexpectedly PSG bend in front of Barca’s eyes. The salary offered by PSG is much greater than that received at Barca. With this, the main place in the squad is not the only guarantee if it is not accompanied by income that enters the pocket. Be Wijnaldum to PSG and become one of PSG’s new recruits in the 2021/22 season.
However, Wijnaldum’s choice began to bear disappointment and regret. Playing hours at PSG is so minimal. Even a place in the first team is not a guarantee. Apparently, salary is not a source of satisfaction, but hours of playing with the first team. If Wijnaldum chooses to move to Barca, his place in the first team may be certain. The Ronald Koeman factor is the reason. This was also evident when Koeman entrusted Memphis Depay or even a loan player from Sevilla, Luuk de Jong on Barca’s front lines.
Wijnaldum’s disappointment could be a small alarm for PSG. Grateful if only Wijnaldum felt this way. It’s a problem if the same feeling exists in some of the other players. For example, the Donnarumma situation. The former AC Milan player had been benched for several matches. Instead of wanting a place in the first team, Donnarumma still lost to Keylor Navas in goal for PSG.
So far, Pochettino has given Donnarumma a place. Including when PSG lost 0-2 to Rennes. Another issue involved Donnarumma being teased by fans at the San Siro when he played for the Italian national team in the UEFA Nations League. Most likely this ridicule came from AC Milan fans who were disappointed with Donnarumma’s decision to leave by not renewing his contract with AC Milan.
In fact, Donnarumma is considered one of AC Milan’s mainstays in restoring the club’s glory in the Italian Serie A League. However, Donnarumma chose a different path. Salary issues were also the reason behind Donnarumma’s decision to go to a different club.
Ridicule is often a negative injection for the players. It can speak of rejection as well as loss of respect. If a player is not mentally strong, he may refuse to play for the team. Or also, players may perform below the best performance standards. Donnarumma’s impression and experience from this international duty can have an impact on the mentality of players when they return to PSG. Moreover, he is dealing with tough competition in goal. It is not impossible, this can affect Donnarumma’s performance with PSG.
Yes, a strong mentality is needed by a player dealing with various possibilities from inside and outside the field. Without a strong mentality, players can face limit situations, such as frustration and make the decision to stop playing. Perhaps mental problems are one of the reasons for Neymar Jr. which makes a surprising statement. According to him, his career as a professional footballer in the Brazilian national team could end after the 2022 World Cup.
One of the reasons behind his statement is Neymar’s inner situation facing various comments from outside the field. It is not easy to deal with various oblique comments, meanwhile Neymar has given his best for the national team. However, there is bound to be disappointment. This disappointment can cause mental burden or give birth to inner wounds. The final choice is to immediately end his duties in the national team in order to avoid oblique voices from outside the gridiron.
Neymar’s inner burden has not been felt at PSG. So far, Neymar is still Maurico Pochettino’s mainstay on the front lines. However, Neymar has not put out the best performance since his best friend, Lionel Messi joined PSG. Neymar’s performance can also discuss the player’s inner situation. Usually when someone plays without mental burden, he tends to play freely and loosely. Otherwise, the performance with the team will also be affected.
PSG can carry a heavy burden if it does not immediately calm the mental situation of its players. The inner situation of the players is one of the keys to the team’s appearance. If the player’s mind is happy and happy, the team’s game will also be affected.
ASL