PSG: Mbappé who “deserves the Golden Ball”, response to Messi, Champions League… Al-Khelaïfi reveals his truths

“New identity, new style, new culture”. Nasser Al-Khelaïfi took stock in front of some media, including Le Figaro, on Saturday at the PSG Campus in Poissy. A meeting in complete privacy, in the office of the Parisian president, the latter having recalled that “the Champions League is not at all an obsession, it’s over. I said it during the first press conference with Luis Enrique on July 5. “Then the results will follow,” he adds. We are building a team that truly plays as a team. We want our players to enjoy playing, our staff to enjoy coaching and our fans to enjoy watching us.” Since the start of the season, said supporters have seen a lot of Kylian Mbappé, author of eight of the 12 Parisian goals. Which Mbappé seemed close to releasing this summer. The two camps patched things up before PSG-Lorient (0-0).

We do not know (yet) what caused this rapprochement. Freeze of loyalty bonuses, extension, departure in 2024? Suspense. Very relaxed and open during this meeting with the media, on the eve of the OM reception this Sunday (8:45 p.m.), at the Parc des Princes, and after attending the session of Luis Enrique's men, “NAK » has not revealed any secrets on this subject despite several reminders. “All the problems we encountered remain in the family and Kylian is part of the family,” says the Qatari leader, “proud of what he and the whole team are doing.” One thing is certain: Nasser Al-Khelaïfi and PSG intend to push the candidacy of the captain of the Blues for the Golden Ball. Several of his teammates have already spoken about it. Ditto for Luis Enrique. “We have the best player in the world and for me, he deserves the Ballon d’Or,” swears Mr. Al-Khelaïfi.

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More involved than ever in the functioning of the club, and in particular during the transfer window or in the Mbappé file, Nasser Al-Khelaïfi poses as defender of a Ligue 1 which has “improved” in recent years and since the takeover from QSI, in 2011. “People sometimes talk about the French championship in a negative way but that’s not fair. It's not an easy championship. People think it's easy but when they come here, they realize it's not... The key to success for Ligue 1 is to retain local talent and think more on scale international,” he insists, he who “enjoys every minute” in Paris and as president of PSG. “I'm trying to be closer to the team and the club because I think it's a really important moment in a new era to build the base,” he assures.

A base which should allow PSG to shine, but also to make French football shine as a whole. In any case, it is the idea of ​​a president who aims to “promote French football” and who tells a telling anecdote about the jersey: “Yesterday (Friday), I was with Nike for the 2025-26 jersey and the first thing I said was: “where is the French flag?” Because when we play the C1, we want to make all French people proud of their French club.

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A priori, Lionel Messi did not appreciate his time on the banks of the Seine as much as Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, that is quite clear. The Argentinian has spoken several times in the media since his departure, saying for example that he “was not happy” in Paris. In the last episode of this bitterly titled soap opera, the seven-time Argentine Ballon d'Or regretted that Paris Saint-Germain did not celebrate its world champion title. “We talk a lot outside, I don’t know what he did or what he didn’t say,” first indicated Nasser Al-Khelaïfi… who actually saw very well what the Argentinian said. He responded without animosity, but clearly. “As everyone saw, we had celebrated Messi in training and in private. But with respect: we are a French club. It was of course sensitive to celebrate at the stadium... We must respect the country he defeated, his teammates on the France team and our supporters too. But he was, and still is, an incredible player. We were proud to have him here.” The world champion is, it seems, not as proud of having worn the Parisian colors.