The buck stops with me, says angry Paris SG coach Blanc

Paris St Germain coach Laurent Blanc accepted full responsibility for his team’s Champions League exit to Manchester City on Tuesday and said he was angry and disappointed with the outcome.

PSG, who clinched the French title a month ago, were beaten 1-0 in their quarter-final, second leg tie as Kevin de Bruyne’s 76th-minute strike sealed a 3-2 aggregate success.

“I am disappointed and angry,” Blanc told reporters.

“I really believed we would win this tie and qualify for the semi-finals. But we fell short over the two legs.

“We were not clinical enough, we were not efficient enough and we paid the price by failing to qualify.”

Since Blanc took over as PSG manager from Carlo Ancelotti in 2013, he has guided the club to three successive French titles, but has also suffered three Champions League quarter-final defeats.

“We had our chance in the first leg and I have a lot of regrets about the first game. We scored two goals but that was not enough,” he said.

“Of course, we had players suspended for this match, but I am not going to hide behind that. I am the one responsible.

“I selected the team, I selected the strategy and I am as disappointed as the players, but the buck stops with me.”

Blanc conceded that City were the better team over the tie and deserved to win.

The former France international said the Champions League was becoming predictable with the same teams always reaching the latter stages.

“There are always the same three teams in the semi-finals and one guest team and this year that looks like being Manchester City,” he said.