Jardim admits PSG were 'much too strong' for Monaco
Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim acknowledged Paris Saint-Germain were simply too strong for his side in Saturday's 4-1 Coupe de la Ligue final defeat.
The Ligue 1 leaders were dealt an early blow when Julian Draxler opened the scoring after just four minutes from what seemed like an offside position, but Thomas Lemar boosted their hopes of emerging victorious when he levelled in the 27th minute.
Angel Di Maria restored PSG's lead late in the first half before Edinson Cavani's brace completed a resounding win after the interval as PSG became the first side to lift the trophy four years in succession.
However, Jardim was quick to stress Monaco still have plenty to play for this season with Coupe de France, Ligue 1 and Champions League glory all still within their reach.
Fulltime (1-4) #ASMPSG pic.twitter.com/zGVaHuRWxc
— AS Monaco EN (@AS_Monaco_EN) April 1, 2017
"Our objective was to win the final, but PSG were superior. They were much too strong this evening," Jardim said at a news conference.
"It was the first time in a final for a lot of our players. This was an important experience for them. PSG have a lot of experienced players and are used to playing finals. It had been seven years since we last played one.
"We conceded two goals at crucial moments, one at the end of the first half and another early in the second half.
"But that we lost here does not mean we will not be able to perform in the remainder of the season.
"Every competition has its place and is different. We have a Coupe de France game against Lille coming up and then turn our focus to Ligue 1 again."