EXCLUDED EUROPE 1 - Mbappé, Messi, Pochettino, Zidane ... Leonardo delivers

Colin Abgrall 8:00 p.m., December 19, 2021

EXCLUSIVE

Very rare in the media, Leonardo confided in

for more than an hour

.

Kylian Mbappé, Sergio Ramos, Lionel Messi but also the coach Mauricio Pochettino, the rumor Zidane, his role as sports director, his relations with his president and Qatar, the Brazilian did not evade any subject of the news of Paris Saint -Germain. 

Kylian Mbappé: "The best player in the world"

"Kylian (Mbappé) is so comfortable in his role as the best player in the world that nothing around has a real influence on his performance, on his daily life or his mood. This year, he is even stronger. People are going to think that we say that because we want to prolong it, but no. It is beyond the interest of the club. At 22 years old, almost 23, Kylian has reached an incredible maturity. We know, we want to keep him as long as possible It's a very special situation because we are talking about the best player in the world who is coming to the end of his contract.

We have always had a very direct relationship with his family, whether it is with Fayza (his mother, note) or with Wilfrid (his father, note).

We can say that there were times when we discussed more warmly, but that is part of building a relationship.

If he decides to stay, he will stay because it is our desire.

I think they live it all very quietly.

But it's a complicated situation, in the sense that we would like him to stay all his life (in Paris) and that we must respect (their position).

I think we still have good possibilities (to extend it).

I believe it."

>> READ ALSO

- Kylian Mbappé, personality of the year of "Paris-Match"

Sergio Ramos "on the right track"

"We didn't expect to be four months, five months without Sergio (Ramos). We knew he had injuries from last season and we were going to have to deal with them, wait. But it's true that We had some surprises. There were a few breakdowns, we forced on the preparation, then we took a few steps back. It was difficult for him. But today, he is really on the right track . Regarding the presence, the mentality, the personality, it would be really important to have him with us for the second part of the season. "

Gianluigi Donnarumma: "The best"

"You have in this team, two 22-year-old players, (Achraf) Hakimi and (Gianluigi) Donnarumma, who to me are the best right-back in the world and the best goalkeeper. And with (Keylor) Navas we had two goalkeepers in the ten nominated for the Ballon d'Or! "

Lionel Messi and his "incredible first six months"

"(Lionel) Messi is indisputable for me. If you start to discuss Messi, it is because you have not understood anything about football. We cannot doubt. If you look at the figures of Messi, his first six months are incredible. He and Mbappé have participated in almost every goal for the club. He is decisive and decisive. We did not take Messi to show off in every game. With him, we are sure to be more competitive. He can decide in every game.

Who says he has to run 12 kilometers in every game?

He's been playing the same way for 20 years.

It changes when you have other players next to you.

But he is adaptable because he is a genius and the other geniuses that we have are going to adapt to him.

But now, he spent 20 years in one place, and we brought him in in three days.

Three days !

It was completely unexpected for him.

Those who think it works are the ones looking for the problems.

Even Idrissa Gueye, who runs 15 kilometers per game, walks the pitch. "

>> READ ALSO

- Lionel Messi has arrived in Paris, PSG celebrates his arrival

Neymar "is not a monster"

"I'm glad he's coming out with a film (a Netflix documentary,

, released on January 25, 2022, editor's note). He will start this film by talking about him. Neymar is here, Neymar is that, Neymar is a monster ... He shows that and then he makes himself known. He's not a monster. It's very beautiful what he's going to come out. I think people confuse everything. It's true that he did things, outings… Otherwise it wouldn't come out on him. But the real Neymar, he has a lot of things he never showed. Neymar doesn't want to change his essence. And he doesn't. will not change even if people say things right and left. "

"Legitimate" Mauricio Pochettino

"He (Mauricio Pochettino) arrived a year ago (January 3, 2021, editor's note) when we had problems. We told him that we wanted to develop things and that we had time. Behind, we eliminate Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the Champions League. We lose to Manchester City (in the semi-finals) but we were in on the idea of ​​the season. The summer arrives, and we do what everyone already knows. So he starts the season again with a workforce not large, but very large.

Building something, putting everyone in their good feeling and their space, is difficult.

Even with the players we have, it doesn't work out that way.

It takes time for everyone, to give them that feeling of being at ease.

I think we are under construction.

And we come to the month of January with a lot of possibilities to make an unforgettable season.

All the things that we thought of him (when he arrived), they still exist.

Leonardo surrounded by the "Europe 1 Sport" team.

He has a very close and very deep relationship with his players and I think that's important. We put a lot of players at his disposal, all very different. His job is really not easy. When you have 15 players, it's easier than when you have 25. I see the progression. Pochettino is legitimate. The maximum potential of this team will arrive in the second part of the season. When the decisive moments arrive, the players we have have something more and I am convinced that it will happen like that.

The style and the manner will come naturally.

I think technically, we'll see better.

Today, we still lose a few balls, we do not go out well.

There is the work of the coach, but I also think that we lack emotions.

Missing is the fact that it shouldn't come from the head, but rather from the heart.

You have to feel it.

You have to know where you belong.

But we as a club also have a responsibility to create that. "

Zinédine Zidane "never contacted"

"We never contacted neither (Zinédine) Zidane, nor any other coach. With (Thomas) Tuchel, before speaking to Pochettino, we had not spoken with another. We never contacted Zidane."

His role as sports director and relations with Qatar 

"It's a weird role. Few clubs have a sporting director or maybe you don't know him ... The role depends a lot on how the club operates. It is not written that a manager should to do such and such a task. For me, I'm here because it's a story that has been written over time, the fact that I played here, my relationship with Nasser and Qatar. All this gives me the impression that it is not a job. I put myself at the disposal of the club, I move where it is necessary to move. Sometimes I do, sometimes I do not.

But the love Qatar has for PSG is undeniable. What happened to the Paris Saint-Germain brand? Everyone knows this logo. My role is to defend PSG. To be at the disposal of this brand and the club. The transfer window is part of this job. Something must be built that is sustainable, that the image conveyed is positive. Abroad, the image of PSG is much better than in France. Now we have to put the final blow: the trophy. Because that's the people's argument.

For me, PSG is a great club, undoubtedly.

What also pleases me is that my relationship with Nasser is so good… We decide and we go all over the place together on all the challenges.

It is a pleasure to deal with all the daily problems.

But I will not do anything else with Qatar, with Nasser, which does not affect PSG.

I have no interest in doing anything more.

I have influence at Paris Saint-Germain, but nowhere else.

Never in politics.

But I say hats off to Qatar for what they have done for the sport.

A World Cup, Formula 1, tennis, Moto GP… "

>> Find the podcast "Associate n ° 1, the birth of a great club in Paris" on the origins of PSG here

The Super League project and the opposition of PSG

"We're very proud of Nasser's position on this. It would have been easy to say 'OK, we're doing it, we're in it.' There, it was not the case. There was a lot of things behind us. Know that the PSG do not have the most important income in the world. It seems that the PSG spend ten times more than the others . This is not true! There are six or seven clubs that have more income and spend more than us. The idea of ​​the Super League is not new. The Champions League was also clubs that wanted a bigger slice of the pie because they were the main players.

But football has always been like that.

Who won the Champions League in the 60s and 70s?

The ones who had the biggest stadiums, because they had the best recipes.

It is not a coincidence.

Who won in the 80s and 90s?

They were the ones with the TV rights receipts.

They got rich and bought the best players.

And in the years 2000-2010, new fortunes arrived, because football opened up.

It is something that is criticized, but it is the evolution of football! "