Here is the interview of Nasser Al-Khelaifi (NAK) with France Football (FF):
NAK on the #PSG season: "We went from heaven to hell. Brutally. Some forget two-thirds of our season that have been magnificent. After MU, everything broke up inexplicably. Everything that worked was not working at all. »
I asked myself a lot of questions after MU:" What did we miss? "," Why can not we manage to pass that step? "," What needs to be changed? ". .. I realized that changes were essential, otherwise we were not going anywhere.
"We needed new things, we can not count such talent in the squad and stop three seasons in a row in the RO16. After MU, we needed an electroshock to no longer know this kind of humiliation. "
"Against Manchester, something broke. In these cases, there is no point trying to repair. It's too fragile, it's better to change. The outcome of this match revealed our weaknesses in terms of commitment, motivation, mentality. "
"We all have dreams, especially that of winning the CL. But we must all give ourselves the means and desire it even stronger than that of the camp opposite. Against MU, I was convinced that we were not the ones who wanted the qualification. "
"I have been in this industry for some time, I'm starting to have experience. These famous details that make the difference, I understand them. I repeat myself, but what happened in front of MU confirmed to me that we had obvious shortcomings, notably rigor. "
"All defeats are hard to digest. In L1, in Cups ... Each time, I take it very badly. Because I like this club. This is my passion. But it is true that MU was a shock because the Champions League is not my dream, but my goal. "
"To get to the end of this competition, you need luck. We can not say that we had a lot with this penalty kicked in the final seconds. Without this penalty we probably would not be there to explain the reasons for the changes in the offseason. "
"This season has also been rich in great performances. (...) We should not underestimate our 8th L1 title. Contrary to what is said, we attach great importance also to national titles. "
"PSG was not inferior to Liverpool. That's why we beat them and lost against them at the last minute. But at the end, they are the champions of Europe, not the PSG. They have a culture of winning that we do not always have. "
"To get there in C1, you need continuity. We do not have it at this level. It also requires a particular mentality that we do not have enough, we must recognize it. This winning mentality, to display every game, regardless of the competition. "
"Pool match, elimination match, L1 match: we have to tackle each of these meetings with the same force. This season, we have seen that we are not consistent in envy. And that, it must change! (...) I want fighting spirit. "
"One of Leo's missions is to change attitudes. Together, I want us to make a real club of winners. I have 100% confidence in his ability to take us to the top with more character and authority. "
"Everyone was expecting this extra rigor: me, the staff, the players, the fans and even the media. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but Leo is going to have full powers to make it happen. In any case, we have no choice: we need changes. "
"Leonardo knows what he has to do and he knows how to get there because he started the project with us. He does not come out of nowhere. PSG, he knows it. He knows all his strength ... and also his weaknesses. It saves time. "
"To be honest, I did not want to see Leonardo leave. But everyone knows why he left, he did not like the way it had happened with the authorities (he was suspended 1 year for a shove on a referee). "
"It was important to offer Leonardo such a field of intervention because it allows him to have a complete look at the general operation of the entire sports sector. So many domains are related to each other. "
"I always work with total confidence in the people I work with. I think a lot about #PSG, even at night when I sleep. With Leonardo, I'm quiet. "
"I'm sure that with Leonardo, we will be stronger and he will quickly find the words to motivate everyone, even the media who are sometimes reluctant to support us. (He smiles.) "
Nasser on Henrique (former PSG sporting director): "It is not because our paths separate that I will forget everything we have done together. It's just the end of a story. He has done a lot of work since his arrival. "
NAK on Henrique: "At the end, we didn't get the success we were hoping for. We needed a quick change. We could not keep going like this. But that's football. I will not forget him because he did a lot of good things for the #PSG. "
NAK: "Tuchel is going to have someone with him now to support him in his mission. He will be very close to Leo and will be able to exchange regularly. This duo will be a great strength for the #PSG because they are two very complementary men, I am convinced. "
NAK: "Leo will be behind the players, the coach. To convey this mentality but also to check that everyone is going in the same direction. He will check that the rules are respected, that individualistic behavior does not come to parasitize the group. "
NAK: "Leo will be very protective but also uncompromising. He will not hesitate to say stop. The group needs to find a little rigor. If a player commits a foul, he will not let feelings go on the way of a due sanction. He will make him understand that PSG is above him. "
NAK: "Players will have to assume their responsibilities even more than before. It must be completely different. They will have to do more, work more. From the first training to the last game of the season. This is a big club. "
NAK: "I want players who are proud to wear our jerseys, not players who do the job when it suits them. They are not here to please. And if they do not agree, the doors are open. Ciao! I do not want to see stars anymore. "
NAK: "If I'm close to the players? This is not true. We must stop with that. I know that some people say that I am the best friend of the players and always on their side. And others reproach me for never being there. So, who to believe? It's ridiculous. "
NAK: "All these" teachers "who give lessons and who know nothing are tiring because they have no information about what is going on internally. It's just blah blah. I'm not the one going to see the players to tell them what to do. "
NAK: "I'm not here to console. I watch, I listen but I know how to stay in my place. Players know that I will always be there to protect them. But if I see that they do not do their best to honor the jersey, I will be uncompromising. "
NAK: "There are lots of good guys in this very talented group. But some have not been exemplary. I will not give you names, of course. Above all, I want to send them the message that it will not be possible to work as before. "
NAK on the L1: "I assure you that all I want is a competition as competitive as possible in France. It's very important to me. The more we will compete for the title and the more PSG will be strong. I'm convinced. "
NAK: "But if we can beat a team 6 or 7-0, we must not deprive ourselves. (...) I am a competitor and I want all my players to have this desire to win everything and to score a maximum of goals, even against the "little ones". "
Nasser: "I understand that it can sometimes be difficult to re-motivate after, or before, a Champions League game. But it's the same for the clubs of Liga, Premier League or Bundesliga. If some people do it, why not us? "
NAK: "If the L1 deserves PSG? I will not answer that question ... I can only say that the League does not help us much. Ajax, when it was necessary to move a Championship match to better prepare the CL, they got it without problem. And it did not shock anyone. "
NAK: "Here, postponing a match immediately takes on the appearance of undue privilege. Yet we are ambassadors of France and L1, right? We have a French flag on our jersey. Wherever we go. We are the team of France, too. "
Nasser: "When we make a new jersey for the #PSG, I insist that there is a French flag. It is natural because, abroad, we represent France. And I'm proud of it. But once back home, how do they thank us? "
Nasser: "The priority will be to have a team with another mentality, a " killer " mentality. All I can say is that I do not want stars anymore, in the bad sense of the word. We've had enough. "
Nasser on Mbappé: "Our best decision in recent years has been to have him sign here: he is French, from Paris, with an exemplary mentality. I want to be there when he wins his first Ballon d'Or, then the following ones. "
NAK: "I know what Mbappé wants. I want the same thing. We will have this competitive team. We do not start from a blank page because we have plenty of amazing players. This season already, we had enough staff to go very far. "
NAK: "We must stop looking for excuses. I hate those who are fleeing their responsibilities. Not everything is the fault of the board. That's enough ! If I think of Tuchel saying that? No, but to all those who forget to do their self-criticism. "
NAK, with a gloomy look, on Neymar: "I did not talk to him directly but I had his father. I told him again what I was expecting from PSG players. I want players willing to give everything to defend the honor of the jersey and to adhere to the project of the club. "
NAK: "If PSG will not hold Neymar? No, I do not say that. I repeat that Neymar, like all others, must believe in our project and give all guarantees of involvement. And as long as it continues to be the case, it will not pose any problem at all. "
NAK: "The perfect transfer window for PSG would be to attract players with an exemplary mentality. PSG, believe me, continues to be a dream for many players. (...) I can only tell you that we will soon have magnificent recruits. "
NAK: "We have been working on the profiles for six months, being even more attentive to the mentality of the players who will come to us. Now negotiations are underway and announcements will be made each time a file is closed. "
NAK: "I knew it would be hard to get this Champions League. But nothing will deflect me from this goal. I still want PSG to get it. It takes time, but I remain convinced that we will arrive there one day. "
NAK: "We are a young club compared to Real or Barcelona. They who are centenarian clubs have been able to build a culture of winning through the ages. We learn fast, even if we remember the beautiful period of #PSG in the 1990s. "
NAK: "If I am convinced that the #PSG will be stronger next year? Yes of course ! This is the goal of everyone at the club. Otherwise, we should just as much go on vacation now and come back to the first day of L1. Next season, we will be stronger and more united. "
THE END !
