Hugo Ekitike, the 22-year-old striker who has been putting in regular fine performances for Eintracht Frankfurt since arriving on loan in early 2024 and then transferring permanently during the summer, spoke to L’Equipe in an interview published this Wednesday. It was an opportunity to look back on his time at Paris Saint-Germain, from 2022 to 2024, and to draw some conclusions. But also a criticism of Christophe Galtier, PSG coach from 2022 to 2023.
Ekitike “I would have been the stupidest player, the stupidest human being if I hadn’t learned.”
“At PSG, perhaps, for example, I was sometimes too impatient when my position was to wait my turn. Because I had the best players in the world in front of me. Today, I know what ingredients are needed to be a top performer: patience, consistency and invisible hard work.
Didn’t you waste your time at PSG?
Not at all. I trained every day with the best players in the world. I’d have been the stupidest player and the stupidest human being if I hadn’t learned.
Ekitike: “I wasn’t helped to do better.
But in Paris, did you feel you had the level during the sessions?
I always felt I had the level. But there was a context. I was in the last year of Messi and Neymar’s career. You can’t take them out. They have to play, they’re the best players in the world. You’re in the back, trying to make up time. There are no lies in soccer. It’s only continuity that makes you a player who can count.
I’m never going to say that I did everything right. I could have done better, that’s the truth, but I wasn’t helped to do better. They didn’t give me confidence. Even during training sessions, even through discussions… They never really took the time to talk to me and help me.
Ekitike “look at what’s happening today.”
I found myself in a situation where I had to manage on my own. Even in matches, I had to think about how to move around so as not to get in the way of one player or another if the team was to function. All that, mixed with a confidence that wasn’t at its best, with a different kind of soccer… That’s a lot of information that meant it didn’t work out. But I learned a lot.
And look at what’s happening today. When I see Brad (Barcola), I knew he could do it. But naturally, I say to myself that if I’d arrived in that context, with time… It’s the same for Désiré (Doué). Do you remember when he arrived? He’s got continuity now, he’s playing, the coach (Luis Enrique) trusts him. That makes for great players. Paris has a great team today.”
It’s good to see that Ekitike knows how to retain something positive from this difficult adventure in Paris. But he didn’t have much help. Under coach Christophe Galtier, there was a collective that barely existed. The main idea was to get the stars to play and not get in their way. Several players struggled under these conditions. Even Vitinha (25-year-old midfielder), who is now brilliant.
It’s understandable that the striker thinks it would be simpler today, that he could express himself more and perhaps impose himself. Clearly, Galtier didn’t help PSG or its players move forward, and his time in charge will be remembered as a failure. It’s clear that he didn’t even have the discussions with his player to support him.
Fortunately, the project has taken a completely different turn today. Coach Luis Enrique has a more human approach and a much more interesting tactical contribution to make. Perhaps Ekitike would be a good fit.
However, he didn’t use the striker in the first half of the 2023-2024 season. Was it because he wasn’t convinced? Because management had already decided to leave? It would be interesting to know more, but coach Luis Enrique is unlikely to say.
