Leonardo, former sporting director and player of Paris Saint-Germain, spoke about Figaro. He notably mentioned the case of Kylian Mbappé, 25, who he would have sold in 2020/2021, arguing that a player cannot be above a club. He subsequently recounted his two visits to Paris with great emotion.
Leonardo “I even think it was supposed to be sold at the end of the 2020-2021 season”
“I was against it, at the level that was done. Always. From the start. I even think he was supposed to be sold at the end of the 2020-2021 season, when PSG had an offer from Real Madrid and he only had one year left on his contract. […] How is it manageable afterwards? If you lose a player, it's annoying, but the club is not going to die.
What great institution collapsed by losing a player? None. It may take a while, but you always get back up. I was a player, but nothing can ever be more important than a club.
Leonardo « We recruited 9-10 players in 20 days”
His arrival in Paris
I remember all the moments. You know, when Paris comes to get me, I am a coach at Inter Milan, I have to build the future and they call me to tell me that the Paris club will be bought, that the revolution will be enormous, with the desire to shine in C1.
I arrived in Paris on July 14, the same when I was a player. The Championship started on August 6 and we recruited 9-10 players in 20 days.
Leonardo « It’s my heart that speaks”
It was wonderful. We come out of the Champions League against the great Barcelona of Messi without losing this season. The second passage also remains fabulous for me.
We're making a Champions League final, the only one so far. But beyond all that, my story with Paris is untouchable. And I'm not saying that to open the door to I don't know what. This is my heart speaking. »
Whatever we think of Leonardo and his time at PSG, it's certain that he left no one indifferent. With PSG, Leonardo was one of the pillars of the construction of the new Qatari project. We remember his first transfer windows, his teams that he managed to build. Under his influence, PSG reached the Champions League final in 2020 and he knows football well.
When he mentions Mbappé, we understand that the wound is still open. He left, Mbappé stayed, we can understand his bitterness. He loves the club, Mbappé too, but the two did not have the same trajectory. The Kid from Bondy has taken up space in this club and that's never good.
We must not forget that a player is often passing through a club; giving him the keys is risky. Today, we have the information, the end was not idyllic between PSG and Mbappé and Leonardo's words resonate all the louder.
We hope we see him again at a football club. He has strengths to put forward and we know that football is often experienced in an intense way and that everyone can be adored, then hated. It's modern football, less passion without nuances. Everything is happening very quickly.
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