Leonardo spoke out this Tuesday on the Paris Saint-Germain project without a headlining star. The former sporting director of the club recalled that he himself had advocated this development by opposing the extension of Kylian Mbappé in 2022. Without winning his case.
Luis Enrique may repeat to anyone who will listen that the PSG version 2024-2025 is stronger than that of the season, the skeptics still do not seem convinced. And particularly in the Champions League where the Ile-de-France club has not yet managed to truly launch its campaign and where the summer departure of Kylian Mbappé to Real Madrid has left its mark. Without a star, Paris launched a new project with more young players. A great ambition for Leonardo.
“Now the project is different, with young people, you are building for the future. These are less glamorous moments, but very important,” slipped the former sports director of PSG in an interview with the newspaper Le Figaro. “I was complicit in that idea and I always said a team isn't built around one person. You can't do that. You can't do that anymore.”
Leonardo hails PSG's “interesting” path
Also welcoming the current PSG squad, Leonardo shared Luis Enrique's opinion on the number of talents at the Spanish coach's disposal. The former Ile-de-France leader asked for “time and patience” for the technician despite the temporary difficulties in the Champions League.
“Even if for the Champions League you are not going to say that PSG are favorites this year, but you are respected, with a coach who builds,” continued the former Brazilian attacking midfielder. “The path is interesting.”
Leonardo explains why he didn't want to extend Mbappé
Having left free this summer for La Liga, Kylian Mbappé was probably the last big star of PSG. But if his departure to Real Madrid created tensions between him and Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, the French striker would have been sold several seasons ago if the Parisian club had let Leonardo decide. According to him, the Brazilian would have wanted to sell him from the summer transfer window in 2021. Above all, he would never have offered him such an extension.
“I was against it, at the level that was done. Always. From the start,” assured the former boss of the athlete at PSG. “Focusing so much investment on one person was a bit too much, in my opinion. My position was clear on this subject. No one should be above everything. Especially not the institution and the club.”
The club decided otherwise and Leonardo packed up. Without bitterness, the Brazilian however ruled out the idea of a return to PSG: “It will be difficult to come back, things have passed. Life goes on, I am older, I am 55 (smile). But my love for PSG is enormous.”
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