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French Ligue 1

I joined PSG for Challenges, Not Money, Says Neymar

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Neymar Jr completed his switch to Paris Saint-Germain as the world’s most expensive player, a tag that is considered will be a burden on him.

But the Brazilian has dismissed that saying, “being the most expensive player in the world is not a burden. I weigh 69kg. I don’t have a burden on me.”

That was while he was answering reporter’s questions at the unveiling event which was live on global television as well as on various social media platforms.

While his move to Paris, hailed, it was with different feelings at Barcelona where he departed. He carefully picked his words while remarking on his former club.

“I have nothing to say really – I’m not sad, I’m really happy. I wrote my chapter there – I won some trophies, I did everything I could there, but you can’t make everyone happy. What I want to say to the fans is: thank you for your friendship.”

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His new home ground is now Parc de Princes, the stadium where Nigeria last won a World Cup match, defeating Bulgaria 1-0 in 1998 before recording another win 16 years later in Brazil.  Neymar was asked who he spoke to at PSG to make the move.

“It was one of the most difficult decisions I’ve made to move. It wasn’t easy at all to leave Barcelona. I had to think, and re-think, and think again about what I wanted to do.

“I leave a lot of good friends behind, but that’s football. Of course I would like to thank all my friends at Barcelona,  but I felt it was the right time to leave and look for new challenges. I spoke with the Brazilian players at PSG – they are my friends, and I feel at home already.”

He was then asked if he was influenced by the Brazilian players at PSG to join the club. “Yes. The environment here is very positive.

“I had to think about what I wanted to do with my life. It’s very complicated to think about this. As soon as I made my decision, when I was 100% sure, I communicated that. My heart told me to come to PSG.”

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While welcoming the good look Brazilian, the PSG president, Al-Khelaifi remarked: “He’s already very handsome, but with the PSG journey, even more so.”

Like in the contract that Neymar signed with FC Barcelona, Al-Khelaifi confirmed there is a buyout clause in Neymar’s new contract, but doesn’t specify the amount.

“When you think about Neymar as a brand, maybe it won’t be so expensive. We’re definitely going to make more money than we spent. We’ve been very transparent from day one about FFP. There’s no problem with that. We have a team working day and night. For anyone worrying about FFP, I say: don’t worry, go and have a coffee.”

Neymar dismissed the wide held belief that the transfer to Paris was mainly for the monetary value. But hear his response: “It’s not about money. Definitely not about money.

“These people don’t know anything about me. Money was never my motivation. I want to be happy, and I want my family to be happy. I’m really sad to hear that people think this way. If it was just about money, I could have gone somewhere else.

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Al-Khelaifi corroborated this, saying “I can guarantee you he didn’t come for money. He could have got more money elsewhere. He came here for the competition, for the challenge.

“Today it’s very positive for us, and it’s a great moment for us. It’s headlines everywhere in the world – we’re going to talk about this transfer for a long time. He didn’t come for money, he came to win trophies. “

Ironically, Neymar Jr contributed to two of the six goals that FC Barcelona scored to eliminate PSG from the last edition of the UEFA Champions League.

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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French Ligue 1

Sacked former Cote d’ivoire coach, Gasset announces retirement as Marseille manager

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Europa League - Semi Final - Second Leg - Atalanta v Olympique de Marseille - Stadio Atleti Azzurri, Bergamo, Italy - May 9, 2024 Olympique de Marseille coach Jean-Louis Gasset reacts REUTERS/Daniele Mascolo

Jean-Louis Gasset who was sacked by Cote d’Ivoire after the group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations last January has announced his retirement as  a coach of Olympique de Marseille.

 He will take charge of his last game on Sunday before retiring from management, the 70-year-old said on Friday.

Gasset was appointed as interim manager by the Ligue 1 club in February after the sacking of Gennaro Gattuso, and Marseille are eight in the standings going into their final Ligue 1 game of the season at Le Havre.

“Sunday will be the last match of my career,” Gasset told a press conference.

“That I stay in football, that my experience, my ideas and my networks are used is a possibility. I don’t know how to garden, I won’t have anything to do. But as a coach, it’s over.”

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The Frenchman’s previous job was with Ivory Coast from which he was sacked after the team’s poor performances in the Africa Cup of Nations group stage. They scraped through as the last lucky losers before going on to win the tournament on home soil.

-Reuters

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French Ligue 1

Departing Mbappe backs good friend Dembele to become Ligue 1’s best

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Sealed And Delivered! Mbappe Has Already Signed Contract With Real Madrid -

Kylian Mbappe has backed winger Ousmane Dembele to be a success at Paris St Germain and fill his boots after he exits the club, as he won his fifth successive Ligue 1 Player of the Year award.

France captain Mbappe, 25, last week announced that he will leave the French champions at the end of the season after a seven-year stay, during which he became their all-time top scorer with 256 goals.

Mbappe’s frustration lies with PSG’s performances in the Champions League, a trophy they have never lifted despite huge investment in the squad. He has been heavily linked with a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid, who are in the final this year seeking a 15th European crown.

His 26-year-old compatriot Dembele joined the Parisian club, who have won 10 of the last 12 Ligue 1 titles, from LaLiga side Barcelona in August last year, signing a five-year deal.

“I have shared and played with incredible players, like Dembele who is here, he is a friend and one day he will pick up this award,” Mbappe said on Monday at the award ceremony.

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“I thank the club as a whole, the coach, who has helped me and trusted me, his staff, the doctors, all the people at the club, the sporting management, the president, the shareholders of the club, of course, the Emir of Qatar who came to find me at the age of 18, who has accompanied me in all my decisions…”

He said his next chapter is going to be very exciting but did not reveal any further details.

“Now I’m turning the page in my life. Everything that comes next is super exciting, but that’s another subject,” Mbappe said.

“Thank you all, I’m going to miss you. I have always tried to do my best, and I also want to thank my family, who have always been with me in good times and bad.

“My father, who is here, I know that it was very important to him that I made history in Ligue 1 before I left and I think that with humility I have done everything you wanted.”

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-Reuters

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French Ligue 1

Mbappe Set To Quit PSG –

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Sealed And Delivered! Mbappe Has Already Signed Contract With Real Madrid -

France captain Kylian Mbappe has informed Paris St Germain that he is leaving the club in July as a free agent seven years after joining them, The Athletic website reported on Thursday.

Mbappe, a member of France’s 2018 World Cup-winning team, signed for PSG from Monaco in 2017 for 180 million euros ($194 million) to become the second most expensive player ever after Brazilian Neymar, who joined the French champions the same year for 222 million euros.

“Mbappe has communicated his decision to PSG but the terms of his exit are yet to be fully agreed. An official announcement is expected once the situation is finalised in the next few months,” the report said.

The 25-year-old striker, who helped the capital club win five Ligue 1 titles and three French Cups, is PSG’s all-time leading scorer with 243 goals in 290 appearances.

PSG have not responded to a request for comment.

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Mbappe last year sent a letter to PSG stating that he would not take up the option to extend his contract by a year when it expires in June.

He has long been linked with Real Madrid, reportedly rejecting a 200 million euro ($215.36 million) offer in 2021. He was again set for a move to the LaLiga side in 2022 before announcing a contract extension with PSG before the transfer window opened.

PSG, who lead the Ligue 1 standings by 11 points, host Nice on Friday.

-Reuters

 

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