The former sports director of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Leonardo, left the club on July 16, surprising many after helping secure a French championship title. Speaking to Le Parisien, the 43-year-old revealed that his departure was influenced by his 13-month suspension, which was imposed on July 4 for an incident involving a shoulder blow against referee Alexandre Castro after the PSG-Valenciennes match on May 5.
Leonardo explained, “It was impossible to continue doing my work in Paris because this suspension did not allow me to do it 100%. I was the main person responsible for the PSG project, very involved with the players and the coaches. But everything had become too complicated with this unfair suspension. And then, there were other problems at the club as well…”
Despite the challenges, Leonardo expressed his continued affection for PSG, calling it his club. He highlighted the impressive attacking lineup with top scorers like Edinson Cavani and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, stating, “I think PSG has the best attack in the world with these six elements. It was my idea to bring them together in Paris, and I had to insist that it happen.”
