Cancelo played 82 minutes of their humiliating PSG loss
Barcelona star Joao Cancelo has admitted to receiving death threats aimed at his unborn daughter following his side’s embarrassing Champions League exit on Tuesday. The Catalans squandered a 4-2 aggregate lead over PSG to lose 6-4 as the Parisians thumped Xavi’s band of busted flushes 4-1 at the Olympic Stadium in the second leg this week.
Raphinha had put the hosts 1-0 up after only 12 minutes as their progression to the semi-finals seemed all but certain. However, things started unravel when Ronald Araujo was sent off in the 29th minute. PSG, who now had the numerical advantage, capitalized on it spectacularly.
Former Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele leveled the scores just before the break, while a goal from Vitinha and a double from Kylian Mbappe in the second half turned the tie around emphatically for Luis Enrique’s team, who cantered into the semi-finals.
Joao Cancelo receives death threats
As far as Cancelo is concerned, the Portuguese ace played 82 minutes of the match, but was completely powerless in the face of PSG’s onslaught, even conceding a penalty which led to their third goal on the night. He later received many vile comments on social media, including death threats to his unborn daughter, revealed the player in a shocking revelation.
Speaking to ESPN, he said:
“”People say all sorts. There are comments on Instagram wishing death upon my daughter who’s not even been born yet. They would not say it to me face, because we would have a problem, but in the comments they write what they want. They’re offensive to my partner, my daughter, our unborn baby. It’s a cruel world and you have to know how to live with it. I know how to, but I just don’t know what to say anymore. Wishing death upon a baby is really serious. People don’t think about the person behind the footballer they see on the television. We are humans, too. We are just the same.”
Players receiving death threats from fans isn’t new. Football is followed passionately around the world by millions of followers, but sometimes, that passion gets the better of them. Back in 2017, Neymar also reportedly received death threats from Barcelona fans following his transfer to PSG.
Barcelona face Real Madrid days after PSG humiliation
There seems to be no respite for Barcelona, who next face Real Madrid in La Liga on Sunday, just days after their humiliating 4-1 loss to PSG in the Champions League. Trailing their arch-rivals by a massive eight points, it’s imperative for the struggling holders to beat them in order to keep their title hopes alive, but the Catalans have lost each of their last three encounters with the side, including a 4-1 drubbing in the Spanish Supercup finals in January. Xavi’s side certainly need a big performance at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Also Read: Why Did Barcelona Defender Commit a Costly Penalty Foul in Barcelona vs PSG UCL Clash?