Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has sought to downplay the membership’s possibilities of profitable this season’s UEFA Champions League, highlighting the brand new, youthful, long-term challenge being constructed on the Parc des Princes.
PSG made gentle work of Actual Sociedad within the Spherical of 16. Kylian Mbappé’s (25) brace within the second leg allowed Les Parisiens to progress 4-1 on mixture. It will likely be the France captain’s remaining season on the Parc des Princes and a succession plan is being put into place. It’s one that’s constructed round youth.
The crew fielded in opposition to Actual Sociedad had a mean age of 23 years and 361 days, making it the membership’s youngest-ever beginning XI in a Champions League encounter. In line with RMC Sport, the president went into the PSG dressing room post-match and sought to ease the burden of expectation on the younger gamers, stating that there was “no strain”.
Al-Khelaifi requires realism relating to PSG’s Champions League probabilities
Al-Khelaifi has now echoed that discourse in an unique interview with RMC Sport. “The Champions League is a protracted story,” started the PSG president, who has yearned for the trophy since QSI’s takeover in 2011. “We mentioned in the beginning of the season that we wished to create a crew for the longer term, a crew that may play collectively for the following six to eight years. Now we have the youngest crew within the quarter-finals of the Champions League, the youngest crew of the highest 10 European golf equipment. We’re happy with that. It’s nice that we’re following this technique, with younger gamers and younger French gamers too,” he started.
🗣️ “La Ligue des champions c’est une longue histoire. Nous avons dit au début de la saison que nous voulions construire une équipe pour l’avenir”
Nasser Al-Khelaïfi s’est confié au micro de @bartoli_marion en exclusivité pour @RMCInfo. pic.twitter.com/YkpjeqVN7j
— RMC Sport (@RMCsport) March 10, 2024
Pushed on the membership’s want to win, he added, “After all! The gamers wish to win each match, however we additionally should be practical. We’re developing a crew. Many of the gamers are new. Within the final match, solely two or three gamers performed for us final yr. We’re developing a brand new crew so it isn’t simple. The gamers aren’t prepared simply because we put them collectively.”
Al-Khelaifi concluded, “I’m additionally happy with our supervisor (Luís Enrique), who’s doing a unbelievable job, a unbelievable job within the development of the crew. It’s not nearly our outcomes, it’s additionally about [our style] of play, the technique, the imaginative and prescient. I’m additionally very happy with the sporting director [Luís Campos], who’s doing an unimaginable job; all the gamers too. We’re very glad.”
GFFN | Luke Entwistle
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