Paris Saint-Germain manager Carlo Ancelotti has refuted accusations that the club's owners 'forced' him to start David Beckham in the Champions League.
The 37-year-old, who has made just one start and four appearances from the bench since moving to PSG in January, started in the Ligue 1 outfit's 2-2 draw with Barcelona in the first leg of their quarter-final European tie.
While some reports have claimed that the club's wealthy Qatari owners told Ancelotti to select Beckham, the former AC Milan boss has insisted that he made his own decision with regards to the team.
"It is wrong to say that [the club's owners from] Qatar said 'Beckham to play'," The Independent quotes Ancelotti as saying. "Everyone must understand that club presidents are very intelligent and cannot force a coach to a player.
"Because in this case, the coach can say to the president: 'Okay, you're doing the coaching and I go home'. Never in my career has a president forced me to bring a player."
The former England captain's performance in the clash received criticism from the French press.
Danielle Joynson
