Christophe Galtier lamented Paris Saint-Germain's defensive errors after their Champions League last-16 elimination to Bayern Munich on Wednesday raised questions over his future.
PSG had no answer to a clinical second-half Bayern performance as Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Serge Gnabry scored at Allianz Arena to secure a 2-0 win and 3-0 aggregate triumph.
That ensured back-to-back last-16 eliminations for PSG, who have played 137 Champions League games without lifting the trophy – only Arsenal (177) have endured a longer such run, excluding qualifiers.
Mauricio Pochettino was dismissed by PSG last season after falling at the same stage in Europe and Galtier, while expressing his commitment, acknowledged his future may be out of his hands.
The PSG coach told Canal Plus: "It's really too early to talk about it. My future obviously depends on the management and my president.
"There is a disappointment, that's how it is. The club pinned a lot of hopes on this competition. I'm staying the course, I'm still focused on the end of the season with a lot of energy and determination."
PSG started the brighter of the two sides in Munich as Lionel Messi and Vitinha were both denied by last-ditch blocks, with the latter thwarted by a remarkable Matthijs de Ligt goal-line clearance in the first half.
Bayern grew into the game after the interval and deservedly progressed to their 21st Champions League quarter-final. No side has reached more in the competition's history.
That left Galtier ruing missed chances and lapses in concentration, with Marco Verratti easily dispossessed in his own half in the build-up to Choupo-Moting's 61st-minute opener against his former side.
"We didn't know how to score our opportunities," he added. "We had a good first period where we had situations. We were able to compete well, we had chances.
"But in the second half we conceded this really stupid goal, at this level you have to be calmer. Obviously, we were under pressure from Bayern, we knew that.
"You shouldn't be ashamed of playing long to break this pressure. After an hour, when you are behind, it's starting to be difficult.
"I don't know if it's a lesson to be learned, but it's a disappointment, a frustration. If we had opened the scoring, the match would have been different."
PSG lost captain Marquinhos to injury after 36 minutes with an apparent hip injury, while Neymar missed the clash after his season-ending ankle injury required surgery.
"We had a lot of important absentees in the first game, a lot of important absentees in the second game," Galtier responded when asked about the difference in quality.
"We had to change central defenders, obviously that weakened us. We must look ahead now."
Danilo Pereira echoed his coach's sentiment on needless errors after PSG failed to keep a clean sheet in any Champions League game this season for the first time in a single campaign.
"Unfortunately we have to say that Bayern were stronger than us," the Portugal international told Canal Plus. "We had chances in the first half, we didn't take them.
"When that's the case in the Champions League, it becomes difficult. We made mistakes. It's hard to go out like this, but it's the Champions League.
"We haven't won many duels. I have no words... To progress, we must all be together, we must do things together and not individually."
He added: "We must fight back from this because Paris is a great team. We must be proud of ourselves. We have great players here, who must work together to grow."
Treble-chasing Leverkusen offer fans free tattoos to commemorate stunning season
Treble-chasing Bayer Leverkusen are offering supporters free tattoos to commemorate their Bundesliga-winning season and record-breaking unbeaten run.
Xabi Alonso's team, undefeated across all competitions this season, reached the Europa League final with a 2-2 comeback draw against Roma on Thursday, sealing a 4-2 aggregate win.
That result also stretched their unbeaten run this season to 49 matches across all competitions, surpassing Benfica's long-standing European record of 48, set between 1963 and 1965.
"A special action at the end of a special season. Bayer 04 are offering fans, until the end of the season, the opportunity to choose one of many Bayer 04 tattoos for free," the club said in a statement.
"Book your appointment now to eternalise this unique season on your skin."
Having sealed their first ever Bundesliga title, Leverkusen are also through to the DFB-Pokal final.
They will face second-tier Kaiserslautern in that showpiece game on May 25, three days after they take on Atalanta in the Europa League final.
Colorado Rapids v San Jose Earthquakes: Armas sees winning mentality in hosts
Chris Armas believes the Colorado Rapids are already developing a winning mentality, as they bid to continue their strong start to the campaign against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday.
Colorado sit fifth in the Western Conference standings with 18 points from 11 games after beating New York City FC 2-1 on their travels last week, their fifth win of the campaign.
That is as many victories as they managed throughout the entirety of last season, and another win on Saturday would take them past the 20-point mark, which they required 27 matches to surpass in 2023.
"Often I'm just watching and learning from the best teams and coaches, that could be in our league, it could be around the world, but when the whistle blows we know how to ramp it up," Armas said this week.
"If you have this ability to ramp it up on game day, then that becomes the norm. You can be light-hearted, you can enjoy training, but when the whistle blows out there it is game on.
"You can see that's becoming who we are, that we know our roles and the players are clear on what they do. We hold them to it and they're now starting to hold each other more accountable."
The 'Quakes are bottom of the West with seven points, though they recorded just their second win of the season against Los Angeles FC last week.
Amahl Pellegrino scored in that 3-1 derby win, and he hopes it can be a turning point for the team, saying: "Football is an easy thing when you have confidence.
"To get a huge win with a good performance makes things easier because you start to believe in what you're doing in training. We just have to continue."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Colorado Rapids – Cole Bassett
Bassett recorded a goal and an assist in last week's win over NYCFC, his fifth regular-season match with at least one goal and one assist for the Rapids.
Only three players have ever enjoyed more such games for Colorado in their MLS history.
San Jose Earthquakes – Cristian Espinoza
Espinoza assisted two of San Jose's three goals against LAFC last time out, his eighth multi-assist match in MLS, tied for the most of any player since he joined the league in 2019 (with Carles Gil and Mauricio Pereyra).
MATCH PREDICTION – COLORADO RAPIDS WIN
Colorado are unbeaten in 12 straight regular-season home matches against San Jose (six wins, six draws) with the Earthquakes' last win in Commerce City coming in 2013.
This equals the Rapids' longest regular-season home unbeaten run against any opponent, having also gone 12 without defeat versus the LA Galaxy between 2003 and 2009.
With San Jose only recording two wins so far this campaign, the Rapids will be confident of maintaining that impressive record.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Colorado Rapids – 48.2%
San Jose Earthquakes – 24.6%
Draw – 27.2%
Iraola sees Manager of the Season nomination as vindication of Bournemouth's work
Andoni Iraola sees his nomination for the Premier League's Manager of the Season award as something for everyone at Bournemouth to be proud of, vindicating their progress in 2023-24.
Bournemouth welcome Brentford to the Vitality Stadium for their penultimate game of the campaign on Saturday, with a top-half finish still on the cards.
The Cherries have already surpassed their previous record points haul in the top flight, accumulating 48 despite failing to win any of their first nine matches under Iraola – a run which led to suggestions he could lose his job.
However, they have been rewarded for sticking with the Spaniard, who is up against Pep Guardiola, Mikel Arteta, Jurgen Klopp and Unai Emery in the Manager of the Season voting.
"I think it's something for the club. People think that we have done a very good season and it's good to see yourself get this kind of recognition," Iraola said on Friday.
"I think we still have a lot of room to grow and we have to continue improving because, in the end, the Premier League is very demanding.
"I think the other nominees are on another level, I would say. They are the top four teams in the league.
"It's good that a club like us receives this kind of recognition but in the same way it could have gone to Sean Dyche or Gary O'Neil, they are also doing very good jobs."
Brentford boss Thomas Frank has heaped praise on his opposite number, saying: "He's done well this season. Praise to him and everyone around Bournemouth.
"He had a tricky start and it's just another example that there are a lot of good coaches out there and that football is brutal and unpredictable.
"But the best leaders are there with a calm head and a steady hand – they keep going. They've done well in many ways, definitely."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Bournemouth – Dominic Solanke
Solanke has opened the scoring in nine different Premier League games so far this season, more than any other player.
His goals have also been worth a league-high 15 points for the Cherries this term – can he fire them one step closer to a top-half finish?
Brentford – Ivan Toney
Toney has failed to score in any of his last 10 Premier League games for Brentford.
Only in his first 11 Football League appearances for Northampton Town in 2013-14 has he failed to find the net in more consecutive league games for a single team. With time running out to impress England boss Gareth Southgate ahead of Euro 2024, he needs to end his drought.
MATCH PREDICTION – DRAW
Brentford's last two Premier League games have seen them lose 1-0 to Everton and draw 0-0 with Fulham. They have not failed to score in three or more consecutive league games since a run of four in March and April 2019.
The Bees have, however, kept a clean sheet in their last two away league games against Bournemouth, last doing so on three consecutive visits between 1991 and 1994 in the third tier.
The Cherries are winless in their last six league games against Brentford since a 1-0 Championship victory back in August 2014, drawing two and losing four.
With little of substance on the line, it would be no surprise to see this one fizzle out into a draw.
Bournemouth have only won their final home league game in one of the last four seasons, beating Millwall in the Championship in 2021-22 but losing their other three in that span.
Brentford, meanwhile, have seen four of their last seven Premier League matches finish level, their only defeat in that run coming at Goodison Park two weeks ago.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Bournemouth – 32.6%
Brentford – 39.1%
Draw – 28.3%
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