In an interview with Bild, Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi talked about the new project. As well as admitting his mistakes (such as announcing that he wanted to win the Champions League within 5 years of their arrival), he explains that he is proud of his team and the philosophy conveyed on a daily basis by the players.
Al-Khelaïfi “But we learn from our mistakes”.
“I admit it openly. But we learn from our mistakes. If you ask me if our aim is to win the Champions League, I’d say no. Now, if you ask me if we want to fight in every match: yes. Now, if you ask me if we want to fight in every match: yes.
Play offensively: yes. Have fun: yes. Do we have the players to do it: yes too,” says PSG’s Qatari boss. We have the players to win the Champions League this year, next year or in eight years’ time. We have the basis to build a great team for the future.
Al-Khelaïfi “Team spirit is the most important thing for me”.
The new star of Paris Saint-Germain is the team, and I’m very proud of the way we’ve transformed our club’s philosophy in such a short space of time. Team spirit is what matters most to me – within the team, on the pitch, on the bench, for the medical staff and analysts, and for all those who work behind the scenes, not forgetting of course our supporters.”
We like these speeches, even if we remain measured. It’s easy to praise a project when everything’s going well. That said, a mea culpa is always a good formula, and we now know that the club has changed direction. A step backwards would not be well received and, above all, would not be well understood. That doesn’t prevent us from having ambitions, nor from recruiting top-quality players.
All we need to do is put the team at the heart of everything, and let the individuals flourish within the collective, while respecting the principles of the game. We’ll have to wait and see over time, and especially when the first difficulties arise. It’s in the storm that we expect Nasser Al-Khelaïfi to stay the course.
