Rebooting Champions League dream: Will hiring a psychologist help PSG banish Real Madrid horror?

During the Champions League last-16 round last season, Real Madrid overturned a 1-0 first-leg defeat against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the French capital to win 3-1 at Santiago Bernabeu.

Image Credit: Getty Images

To banish last season's Champions League horror against Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) has reportedly decided to hire a sports psychologist to help the players reboot their dream to clinch Europe's elite football competition.

According to reports in Spain, Luis Campos continues to restructure the Ligue 1 champions. In addition to signing players, he is working on hiring the services of a professional psychologist for the first team. Reports add that a nutritionist dedicated exclusively to the PSG stars Lionel Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and others would also be hired at the Parisian club. 

According to L'Equipe, hiring a psychologist for the first team was sparked immediately after the defeat against Real Madrid in the Champions League last season. The psychologist is expected to work with the players closely to ensure they do not repeat what happened at the Bernabeu last season.

During the Champions League last-16 round last season, Real Madrid overturned a 1-0 first-leg defeat in Paris to win 3-1 in the Spanish capital. Sensational French striker Karim Benzema's second-half hat-trick caused mayhem for PSG at Santiago Bernabeu with a fourth last 16 exits in the last six campaigns.

However, under new manager Christophe Galtier and with the services of a professional sports psychologist, PSG will hope to smash a mental barrier in the Champions League as they try to rechallenge the European elite in 2022-23.