Presnel Kimpembe had to turn a major page in his career last summer. Having come through the ranks at Paris Saint-Germain, where he signed his first professional contract in 2014, the 30-year-old defender changed clubs for the first time. After two years marked by long-term injuries and virtually no playing time, he signed with Qatar SC. This Tuesday, L’Equipe published an interview with the French international in which he reflects on this particularly difficult period and his decision to leave, sharing some questions and rediscovering his form.
Kimpembe: “The first transfer of my life changes quite a lot of things.”
“Was it also strange to wear another club’s jersey for the first time in your career?”
“It feels strange, because even when I talk to friends or former teammates, I say ‘we’ when talking about PSG. I always include myself in that, because my heart is Parisian.” But it’s true that the first transfer of my life, to a new club, a new country, a new city, it changes quite a lot of things.
Kimpembe: “It hurt my family, it hurt me.”
Did you learn anything during this period?
Not being able to train or play with the team hurt me a lot. But I had to take my time, I had to be patient, I had to wait and get on the train when the opportunity arose. There’s also the whole psychological aspect. It hurt my family, it hurt me.
My children asked me a lot of questions: “Dad, why are you here? The team is playing tonight, why aren’t you playing?” Of course, I have to explain things to my sons. They might not be old enough yet to understand why Dad is home so much. It was a shock for them, even though they were happy. They were upset that they didn’t see me playing on TV. They also went to the Parc des Princes less often.
My parents and brothers had a lot of questions too: “Are you coming back? Why haven’t you come back? I read that you were going to play again.” In the end, it’s difficult to keep explaining.
Kimpembe: “It was still hard to accept.”
How do you explain the lengthy return?
I’m not a doctor. But it definitely took time. I think the medical staff must have had their doubts, maybe they were afraid. The coach and the technical staff didn’t necessarily want to take any risks. When you come back from an injury like that, it’s scary. But a second one is even worse. People must have been thinking: Can I hold on? Can I play? Can I start?
For me, if you ask me, I’d say yes, because I was in the squad and I was fit to play. These are things I had to accept. There are plenty of matches I could have started, matches I could have played 90 minutes in. The proof is that I’m doing it right now, so I don’t see why I couldn’t have done it before. It was still hard to swallow, but I accepted it because that’s how it is, those are the coach’s decisions.
Kimpembe: “What I appreciated was that we had a frank, open conversation.”
How did your departure at the end of the season go?
I spoke with Luis Campos this summer, during the Club World Cup. I told him openly that I couldn’t do a third season like that. I wanted to play. Luis understood. He and the club were fantastic about that. He passed the information on to the club and the president. We all sat down. I asked Luis if I could also speak with the coach, and what I appreciated was that we had a real heart-to-heart. He was incredibly honest with me too. He told me that the club was planning to sign another defender and that it would be difficult.
Then, there were concrete offers from Italy. Qatar came in last, and I made that decision. I’d had opportunities to leave the club before: Chelsea, Monaco with Luis Campos already, Saint-Étienne with Christophe Galtier… But this is the first time everything has become so concrete.
It’s clear that Kimpembe went through a nightmare. A long injury is already a major blow to a career and a particularly difficult period for a player. A second one can be devastating, with doubts piling up about what comes next, between the ability to return to the highest level and the fear of further misfortune. The Parisian native also had to deal with these two setbacks in quick succession.
The defender then had to fight to get back into shape physically and be psychologically ready for the demands of top-level competition. Not to mention the very tough competition at PSG, a factor that easily explains why he played little upon his return. There were doubts about his ability to maintain the intensity of top-level play, and he needed to outperform his teammates in terms of performance.
We’re happy for Kimpembe today, as he’s finally getting more playing time. But while he expressed frustration with his limited playing time at the end of his time in Paris, it’s clear that the level and pace in Qatar aren’t the same as at PSG, with Ligue 1 and the Champions League to contend with. He needed to leave in order to revive his career with a full-time playing role. This allowed him to overcome the doubts and painful moments he’s mentioned, particularly with his family.
We completely understand his position, and PSG had to be honest and open the door if there was an option. That option was found with Qatar SC, perhaps the club where playing time was most attainable. In any case, it’s wonderful to see Kimpembe remain so attached to PSG and grateful for how his departure was handled, even if it came at the end of the worst period of his career. He also understands the coach’s position regarding his specific situation. We wish him all the best in enjoying his newfound freedom.
