Nantes' Vahid Halilhodzic: 'Unprofessional' PSG 'Acted Like a Child' in UCL Exit

Nantes manager Vahid Halilhodzic has stuck the boot in on upcoming opponents Paris Saint-Germain for demonstrating what he perceived to be "unprofessional" behaviour in their UEFA Champions League exit in March.

Per Goal's James Westwood, PSG's players reportedly arrived at the Parc des Princes individually for the second leg of their last-16 tie with Manchester United rather than travelling together on a team bus.

Ahead of Nantes' Coupe de France semi-final with PSG in Paris on Wednesday, Halilhodzic told Le Parisien (h/t Westwood):

"The behaviour of the team before the match was incomprehensible. How they could accept that the players arrived alone to the stadium two hours before the match? 

"The preparation of Paris before the Manchester United game was a serious mistake. It's unworthy for a big club. It's unprofessional.

"In Paris, there may be traffic jams or an accident [that would delay the arrival to the stadium]. The main lesson is: 'You acted like a child, so you have the result of a child.'"

PSG took a 2-0 lead from Old Trafford in the first leg, but they were eliminated on away goals after a brace from Romelu Lukaku and a late penalty from Marcus Rashford secured a 3-1 victory on the night:

The Parisians were without Neymar and Edinson Cavani, but their opponents were missing 10 first-team players through injury and suspension.

It marked the third season running in which PSG have been knocked out of the Champions League in the round of 16.

In the 2016-17 campaign, PSG went out at the hands of Barcelona after throwing away a 4-0 lead from the first leg by losing 6-1 in the second.

Their exit against the Red Devils has enhanced their reputation for being fragile reputation even further:

For all their domestic dominance in recent years—they're on the verge of winning their sixth Ligue 1 title in the last seven years and have won 15 of the last 17 other domestic honours available—they've not made it past the quarter-final of the Champions League.

The club last made the semi-finals of Europe's premier club competition in 1995.

If they're to improve on that record and meet the ambitions their investments in stars like Neymar and Kylian Mbappe have shown, they need to ensure their preparations for knockout-phase matches are as good as can be, on and off the pitch.