“It would have been an industrial disaster if Kylian Mbappé had left”estimated on Saturday May 21 on franceinfo Bixente Lizarazu, football consultant for franceinfo, world champion in 1998, after Kylian Mbappé’s extension to Paris Saint-Germain until 2025. Bixente Lizarazu finds “fascinating” the way in which “the Mbappé clan” has succeeded “to bring a state to its knees”. But the franceinfo football consultant is now waiting “a collective project” for PSG and a “requirement” to win the Champions League.
>> Kylian Mbappé extends at PSG until 2025
franceinfo: Did you think Kylian Mbappé was going to stay at PSG?
Bixente Lizarazu: Frankly, I watched it with a certain fascination. Because the way the Mbappé clan steered its boat to raise the stakes, to manage the timing of the announcement, the way they also managed to bring a state to its knees, Qatar, the owner of the club, and most big club in the world, Real Madrid, I found that quite fascinating. I feel like we were in another world.
“In the history of football, I have rarely seen a player manage to bring two institutions like that to their knees, two big clubs like that.”
Bixente Lizarazu, franceinfo football consultantat franceinfo
And what is certain is that for Paris Saint-Germain, it would have been an industrial disaster if Kylian Mbappé had left. Because he is the greatest current player, because he is young, because, on his own, he can represent the Paris Saint-Germain project, from the moment we create a collective around him. I think the financial parameter was very important. They did the right thing in a complicated season. There was a lot of criticism from the fans, the elimination in the Champions League. They bet very big to be able to keep it. And for them, it was priceless. It is a major asset to start again next season with Mbappé. On the other hand now, what is very important is that it is not the Football club Kylian Mbappé. It has to be Paris Saint-Germain again. And for that, you have to start on a collective project. So there, there is a phenomenon that remains for three years. But alongside that, you have to find collective virtues. Because I remind you that the Champions League final is Real Madrid against Liverpool. These are teams that have shown that collective virtues are very important. And that’s what Paris Saint-Germain have always lacked to get things done. There, we enter into a phenomenon of individualization.
Do you find Kylian Mbappé daring in his choice to stay at Paris Saint-Germain?
I think that Real lost face there and they are very upset. This is the fourth time. If it was his childhood dream, I think that there, he will be able to forget if ever one day he leaves PSG. But for Real, it’s a very hard blow. Then, is this choice wise? It is the collective project around Paris Saint-Germain, and the choice of the coach. Will Leonardo stay? How will Paris Saint-Germain manage this transfer, between the idea of building a team of stars and a football team? That’s the key thing. I don’t know if there were any guarantees about that, but I’m looking forward to the sequel. And the rest is the collective vision of the Paris Saint-Germain project with the people who will embody it.
Do you have hope that the Messi-Mbappé-Neymar trio will work better next season than this year?
We always have the hope that it works better. But you are already making a mistake by talking about this trio. You only think of attackers. And a football team is a defence, midfielders, substitutes. It’s a team. Good players, they have them. In fact, it is to ensure that these good players play at their best level. And not everyone played at their best. Verratti is a world class player. But there are still players in the Paris Saint-Germain midfield who are of good quality, but who have not always been in optimal form. Afterwards we know that Neymar has this physical fragility. Then for Messi, the adaptation was longer. And there is also the management of the players, the discipline, always pushing them to give their best, never letting up. This is what makes the strength of the big clubs that win the Champions League. There were times there was a bit of a Club Med side, a bit of a vacation. There are great players, but not a huge requirement. So suddenly, at certain times, they lose concentration, they are a little light, they are having fun. But high competition is no fun. This is what Paris Saint-Germain lacked to win the Champions League. To win the Champions League, he often missed that.