Paris Saint-Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino said Friday that playing in the Champions League final this season in the French capital will be extra motivation for his team, which aspires to lift the trophy for the first time in its history.
UEFA announced on Friday that it had moved the venue for the last Champions League match from Saint Petersburg to the Stade de France in response to Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine.
“For me, personally, it is an extra motivation. It’s exciting to have the chance to host the Paris final at the Stade de France,” Pochettino told reporters.
“We hope to be lucky enough to play it. It would be incredible to be able to be there but we have a lot of work ahead of us”, continued the Argentine coach.
Before that, PSG will have to win the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 at the Santiago Bernabeu against Real Madrid on March 9, after winning 1-0 in France.
PSG will remain without counting this weekend against Saint Etienne in a Ligue 1 showdown with Spaniard Sergio Ramos, who will start running exercises in the middle of next week, the club announced.
“The person who suffers the most is Ramos, we try to help him in every way,” Pochettino said.
The Argentine Leandro Paredes and the Spanish Ander Herrera will not play the match against Saint Etienne either. The first has adductor problems and the second due to a muscle injury. (D)
Source: Eluniverso
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