“It’s a great day for the history of PSG.” It is with these words that the president of Paris Saint-Germain, Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, launched the press conference, Monday, May 23, after Kylian Mbappé’s extension until 2025. “This choice is a very strong sign: we are keeping the best player in the world”, continued the Qatari leader, who repeated this compliment several times during the 15 minutes of the intervention. Back to the points to remember from this press conference.
On his decision to stay at PSG
“I made my decision last week. I didn’t announce it to my teammates because the club didn’t want to. He wanted it to be a surprise for everyone.” declared the player, very comfortable in front of the cameras, in costume, alongside his president.
But his decision, long uncertain due to the Frenchman’s hesitations in favor of Real Madrid, could have tipped the other side of the scales. The French international made things clear from the start: “Everyone knows that last year I wanted to leave and I was convinced that it was a good thing for me. But the years go by and are not alike.”
> Relive Kylian Mbappé’s press conference in full
Kylian Mbappé also mentioned an important factor in his decision to stay in Paris: France. He has developped : “It’s a country I love, I want to live here and come back when I’m done with my career. I don’t think my story is over here, sporting and individual.” The President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, had some influence on his decision, as the player explained to the media a few minutes after the press conference: “We exchanged a lot of times. We will say that it was good advice. He wanted me to stay, that’s part of the negotiations”.
#KylianCestParis pic.twitter.com/06hyUco30m
— Paris Saint Germain (@PSG_inside) May 23, 2022
Did the presence of Messi and Neymar play a role? To this question from a South American journalist, number 9 replied with a smile: “Playing with great players is what I’ve always wanted. We had a difficult year but I think the quality of the two players no longer needs to be proven. We talked a little [du transfert] and they told me that whatever I decided, he would respect it.”
On the reactions in Madrid
If Kylian Mbappé stays at Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid supporters and leaders look gray. The French international wanted to greet them: “They always accepted me as one of their own even though I never wore their jersey. Well if, at 14, a week (laughs). I’m grateful for that.”
“I hope they will understand the fact that I have decided to stay in my country.”
Kylian Mbappé, PSG strikerat a press conference
The player also mentioned his recent exchanges with the president of the Merengues, to announce his decision: “I called President Florentino Perez because I have a lot of respect for him and his club. They did everything for me, to facilitate my arrival and make me as happy as possible. As a respectful man, I preferred the to call.” Will he still one day play for the White House? “In football, there is a truth, it is to look ahead, not too far. A year ago, I did not think I was here in front of you. Today, I sign a new contract and I look towards the future. forward, towards this new project, this new era.” “I don’t know where I will be in three years”he added.
On the sports guarantees of PSG
Among the many rumors surrounding Kylian Mbappé’s contract extension at PSG, the player’s future importance on the club’s sporting choices and sporting direction has been mentioned. The person concerned recalled his status: “I remain a football player. I am anchored in a collective, regardless of the status in the workforce. I will not go beyond my function. I love football, I love to talk about football, but I will never go beyond that.”
Nasser Al-Khelaïfi also wanted to respond to these allegations: “Since the day I met Kylian’s family, we’ve been talking about football, sports. We want to win trophies. We’ve won quite a few, but we want to win more. It’s the same sporting objective that is important. for all the players. Kylian never asked for anything. He just wants to win like us. We invest in the player so that he wins with us. We have a magnificent player, we kept the best player of the world. We have built something very strong between us.”
Could the superstar become captain? The player denies en bloc: “We already have a captain [Marquinhos]I don’t want to chop off his head, he’s part of our project.” And Mbappé to add: “I think I have more maturity, responsibilities, it is acquired on the ground. I managed to have the respect of my partners on the ground. You don’t need to have responsibilities to be invested in the project.”
On his image rights
This is a detail that has been important in recent weeks for Kylian Mbappé: his image rights. The striker is ironic on the subject, evoking the controversy born of his refusal to promote certain sponsors of the Blues: “Before the march rally [avec l’équipe de France]no one has written about image rights, not even a brief one.” The player ensures that “This misunderstanding, we will settle very quickly: we have a country to win”.
“I want to manage my career as I see fit. I don’t want to revolutionize football, it’s not my fight.”
Kylian Mbappeat a press conference
In addition, the question of the fabulous contract came to the ears of the Parisian president. He recalled PSG’s policy on this subject, without going into details: “We never announced the figures. It was not the important thing, the investment. It’s a sporting choice, not for the money.”