While Vahid Halilhodzic nearly made his full return to Paris Saint-Germain this Wednesday at 7 p.m. in a rescheduled match from the 26th round of Ligue 1, the FC Nantes coach is suspended. This sanction comes after an outburst of anger towards the referee during last weekend’s match against Brest. Pedro Miguel Pauleta, a PSG striker from 2003 to 2008, recently recounted an anecdote to Ici Paris about the strong personality of the coach who arrived at PSG in May 2003. The discussion took place after his first training session at the preseason camp in Aix-les-Bains.
Pauleta: “I’m the boss at PSG, not you.”
“He called me to his room to talk. I arrived and he started threatening me everywhere: ‘Who do you think you are? I’m the boss at PSG, not you.’
Pauleta: ‘I want to go back to Bordeaux, I don’t want to stay here!’
This guy called me 50 times to get me to come to PSG, and he was starting to get on my nerves. I left the room, called my agent, and said: ‘Listen, I want to go back to Bordeaux, I don’t want to stay here!’
He didn’t want another Ronaldinho to come to PSG, someone who thinks he can do whatever he wants. I’m the opposite; that’s not how I am in life, or in football.” “But anyway, he wanted to make his presence felt right away during our first conversation.”
It’s a very particular episode, which also recalls the rather negative atmosphere that prevailed at PSG during those years. Including the Ronaldinho saga, but not only that. It was a period of great turmoil in Paris, and they had to fight, even just to avoid relegation, to get through it.
Incidentally, with Halilhodzic’s particularly forceful methods, sparks almost ignited further problems. Notably, the hasty departure of Pauleta, the big signing of summer 2003, who didn’t appreciate the welcome. Even if it was difficult to imagine him leaving again so soon after the transfer.
At least, the Portuguese player knew how to persevere and fully demonstrate his admirable mentality. Enough to leave his mark on the club’s history and become its top scorer for a time, despite an experience marked by the difficulties surrounding him.
