In a long interview with L'Equipe, Leonardo looks back on his last three years at PSG.
Dismissed after the last match against Metz (5-0), on May 21 at the Parc des Princes, the former sports director of the Parisian club draws up a positive assessment of his career which will have ended without a hint of good words from the part of the PSG, the interested party finding "a little pathetic" the writing of press releases to announce the end of a collaboration.
Asked whether his departure may be the consequence of Kylian Mbappé's extension, Leonardo replies "no".
And adds: “It was the end of the championship and it was perhaps the time to decide things for the future.
(…) But I don't want to get into that kind of thing.
And the fact of having kept a player of this level, French and Parisian, is important for PSG and L1.
“The manager assures that he wanted to continue his story in Paris where he returned in 2019: “Yes.
But I understand that these are things that happen.
There are unexpected situations that occur, so it is.
I am very pragmatic.
Three years in football today is huge.
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“I leave with zero bitterness, assures the Brazilian.
Honestly, zero!
Then I have my vision.
But this is not the day to pour out.
It's to thank Qatar and Paris for giving me this opportunity.
And I'm not demagoguery.
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Leonardo recognizes that he “could have done better.
“But I experienced two very clear stages (in Paris), he recalls.
The first, in 2011, was that of construction.
We were starting from an almost blank sheet.
But here it was different.
We had the opportunity to do something exceptional and that's why I have to thank Qatar.
I experienced something very intense.
The idea was to build something that stays even if you're not there.
“We will remember the Champions League final lost to Bayern in 2020 (1-0), but also the failure of last year with a premature elimination in the round of 16 against Real Madrid when expectations were enormous ( 1-0, 1-3).
“We were favourites, admits Leonardo.
You do a lot of recruiting, that's normal.
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"We recruited last summer, remember, everyone was happy," recalls the now ex-sports director of PSG.
When three young talents arrive like Hakimi (then 22 years old), Nuno Mendes (19 years old) and Donnarumma (22 years old at that time), Ramos, Wijnaldum and Messi, you say to yourself: what is it? only that ?
Everyone said it.
Then you lose in the round of 16 (of C1), we say: "It sucks, it's management, it's the group..." It's also true that I think there were times tired, he adds.
The Covid season has had an impact on the one after.
Me, I had the Covid twice and I still feel it sometimes.
So, yes, maybe we could have scored more sometimes.
(…) But still: in the end, we made Messi!
We can say what we want.
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"Nothing concrete" with Valencia
About the signing of the Argentine star, seven-time Ballon d'Or, to PSG, Leonardo says: “We had thought about it, yes.
We had talked about it.
But Messi had never thought too much about leaving (from Barcelona, editor's note).
It was the last moments before his arrival that were decisive.
Afterwards, everything becomes a bit normal, but put..., you made Messi's only transfer in his career!
So yes, thank you.
Messi, there is nothing more than that.
Chronologically, there is Pelé, Maradona, Messi.
He is there in Olympus.
So when I take stock of my three-year record, I see a C1 final, a semi-final, the 10th league title, seven national trophies and I add Messi.
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Overall, and despite the criticism, Leonardo believes he has accomplished his mission at PSG.
He defends himself for not having been able to sell undesirable players.
“It was not a good time for sales because no one could buy.
But honestly, I don't think I'm leaving the club because we haven't sold.
It's part of a set of things.
“And, while we are talking about him at the moment to join FC Valence where he played from 1991 to 1993, Leonardo calms things down: “There is nothing concrete.
It spoke a little, like that, but nothing more.
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