By Sam Testelin
Summer 2019. One year after joining the professional group of Paris SG, Moussa Diaby decided to leave his training club to have more playing time. Head to Bayer Leverkusen. Well advised by his former coach, Thomas Tuchel, the international hopeful has not had the opportunity to regret his choice since. “He spoke to me a lot. It’s thanks to him that I’m here […] He told me that Leverkusen was a club where I could exploit my qualities, ”the 21-year-old confided.last May in the columns of L'Equipe . Already very close to his coach when he was at PSG, the former Parisian titi found in the Dutchman, Peter Bosz, similarities with his former manager: “Coach Thomas Tuchel gave me a lot of confidence. He's a great coach. He's like my current coach, he's someone close to his players, you want to return the favor ”he explained, still in L'Equipe.
Established for the first time on the 12th day of the championship after five entries into play, the international hopeful does not regret having waited all this time: “At the beginning, I had to adapt to a new Championship. The coach wanted to preserve me. He started me at the right time. ” A rather rapid adaptation, since the 21-year-old managed to score 8 goals and deliver 8 assists in all competitions, to his greatest satisfaction. "I am satisfied. I always have in mind to progress […] I could have been patient. But I did not hesitate. To express myself it was the best. " Like his friend and former PSG teammate, Christopher Nkunku, who left for Leipzig at the same time.
Ambitious but patient
Aware that taking the place of Neymar would be impossible, Moussa Diaby retreated to jump better but does not rule out a return to Paris SG in the coming years. He wants to be a great player and great players play for great clubs: “Already, I'm trying to become a great player. Then, Paris is my training club. Coming back with confirmation is always in the back of my mind. I say to myself, why not? ”But before that, making his hole in Leverkusen is very important, especially if he aspires to a place in the France team. “I see myself in a big club, but it will be step by step. The selection also, I will do everything to go there but I know how much you have to work for that ”. And it starts this Monday in the quarter-finals of the Europa League against Inter Milan, one of the favorites of the competition. A meeting that could make even more beautiful an already largely successful first season.
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