PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi takes indirect dig at Neymar and Lionel Messi while praising Kylian Mbappe
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has taken an indirect dig at Lionel Messi and Neymar while heaping praise on their current star Kylian Mbappe. He claimed that the players are more united than before, and the focus is now on playing beautiful football over results.
Neymar recently commented on his time in Paris and stated that he and Lionel Messi lived through "hell" at the club. He added that they were delighted to leave the club after he joined Al Hilal, while the Argentine moved to Inter Miami.
Speaking to Record, Al-Khelaifi did not want to comment directly on Neymar's comments but claimed that the players at PSG this season were united like never before. He said:
"Kylian Mbappé is an incredible player and a fantastic person. And the Paris Saint-Germain team, on and off the pitch, has never been so united, which I think was possible to see last weekend, during the game against Lyon. This year, in the new Paris Saint-Germain cycle, we are focusing less on results and more on performance and our style of play. If we do that, the results will appear accordingly. We have a fantastic coach and sporting director and I'm very happy with the spirit found at PSG."
Lionel Messi also stated that he was not interested in joining Paris Saint-Germain but had to make the quick decision because of how things ended with Barcelona.
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi sent warning to Kylian Mbappe
Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi sent a warning to Kylian Mbappe earlier this summer and claimed that he would not allow the striker to play for the club until he signed a new deal.
He told Le Parisien:
"We want him to stay, but he can't leave for free. That was our verbal agreement, and he expressed it publicly in an interview. So it's not debatable. I was really shocked to learn that he intended to leave for free. It's very disappointing because Kylian Mbappe is a fantastic lad, a real gentleman, and to leave for free, by weakening the biggest French club, is not him. When I received this information, I was shocked and disappointed."
He added:
"If he doesn't want to sign a new contract, the door is open. That's how it is for him and for everyone else. No one is bigger than the club, no player, not even me. That's very clear."
However, things have changed and the Frenchman is back in the starting XI at the club.