‘I’m proud of what he has done’: Nasser Al-Khelaifi wishes Kylian Mbappé well

Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi used his platform at a forum in Sardinia to reply to questions posed by CNN sports journalist Amanda Davies regarding the club’s season and the departure of talisman and record goalscorer Kylian Mbappé (25). 

Nasser Al-Khelaifi lauds Kylian Mbappé ahead of his departure

PSG won both Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France domestically and missed out on the Champions League final, losing to German outfit Borussia Dortmund in the semi final, something that hasn’t phase the Qatari figurehead: 

“We know the Champions League is difficult and is decided on small details. We tried and we will continue to try. It is always our ambition. Honestly, I did not set the Champions League as an objective at the start of the season.

We have started with a new team, a new cycle, a new vision. Of course I would’ve wanted to reach the final and win but to get to the semi-finals is already incredible for us. The difficulties we had made this achievement even better. It’s not a question of players, but of the team. A journalist asked me who would be the star of the team next season and I replied that it’ll be the team, the collective. That is our strategy moving forward.”

The boss and the coach is Luis Enrique. I trust him and he is doing remarkable work. If we had been eliminated in the group stage, I would have said the same thing because I know we are on the right path. It’ll be the same thing next season, if you ask me if I want to win the Champions League, I will say yes but it’s not our objective. We’ll look to try our best and build a team. Even though we lost against Dortmund, if you ask if I’m satisfied with the season, I say yes.”

Kylian Mbappé is set to depart the French champions for a new challenge abroad, almost certainly with Real Madrid, despite several attempts by the president himself to convince him to stay amid souring relations between the pair. However, Nasser Al-Khelaifi took the opportunity to wish the star well: 

“I wish him all the best. He did exceptional things for us for seven years. He was 18 when he arrived, now he’s a big boy and the best player in the world. I am proud of what he has done for the club, and you never know, maybe he will come back to France one day. I know his ambitions, he wanted to change, go to another league for a new experience, and he’s allowed to.”

An official confirmation of Mbappé’s Real Madrid move is expected in the coming days, with the player currently on international duty and preparing EURO 2024 with Les Bleus. Nasser Al-Khelaifi must now plan for a future without the star forward. 

GFFN | Jack McArdle