The former director of Saint-Germain: My dismissal has nothing to do with Mbappe

The former sporting director of Paris Saint-Germain, the French football champion, denied the Brazilian Leonardo any link between his dismissal from his position last May and the announcement on the same day of the extension of the contract of star Kylian Mbappe.

And Leonardo said today in an interview with the sports newspaper “L’Equipe” regarding the possibility of a link between his departure and the choice of international star Mbappe to stay in the ranks of Paris Saint-Germain instead of moving to Real Madrid: “No, it was the end of the championship, and perhaps the time has come (for the club) to make other decisions about the future.

In his first interview with the media since his dismissal was announced on May 21, the 52-year-old former capital club star added: "No, they didn't tell me that. But I don't want to get into this kind of thing. And the fact that a player of this level is kept, is French." And a Parisian, important for Paris Saint-Germain and the First Division.”

Leonardo, who resigned as sporting director on his first assignment with Saint-Germain in July 2013, continued: "Some things that are said internally must remain internal. This is what I lived with at the club. When (the club) wants to give up your services, there is no good way. To say it's over."

At the time, Leonardo, who played for Saint-Germain as a player in the 1996-1997 season, spent two years in the position before resigning due to a nine-month ban for paying referee Alexandre Castro after the Paris club's match with Valencia in the local league in May 2013. The ban was lifted after a year by the Administrative Court.

Paris Saint-Germain again hired Leonardo in 2019, and achieved great success in the transfer market, especially the signing of Italian international goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and Argentine international Lionel Messi.

"When I evaluate the outcome of three years with Paris Saint-Germain, I see a Champions League final (2020), a semi-final (2021), a tenth title in the league, seven national titles (others) and I add Messi," Leonardo said.

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