‘A player can never be bigger than a club’ – Ex-PSG director Leonardo on Kylian Mbappe row

Former PSG sports director Leonardo has defended his stance during the Kylian Mbappe saga, insisting a player’s ambitions should never overshadow a club’s interests.

Mbappe, whose father is Cameroonian and mother Algerian, had expressed a desire to leave PSG for Real Madrid in 2021, sparking tension at the Parc des Princes as contract negotiations unfolded.

On Mbappe, Leonardo revealed he disagreed with the conditions the striker attached to his contract renewal.

“When he renewed his contract, he had conditions for staying, and I didn’t agree. I couldn’t stay. There were choices to be made. I would have said no sooner,” he said.

The former PSG chief emphasised the principle that clubs must take priority over individual players.

“Because he wanted to leave. It wasn’t about money. He stayed because he’s a Parisian, but he wanted to go to Real Madrid. A player can never be bigger than the club,” Leonardo explained.

He also clarified that his differences with PSG management were never personal.

“Between Qatar and me, there has never been a problem,” he said, noting that his perspective focused on the broader strategy and long-term stability of the club.

Leonardo, who also orchestrated Lionel Messi’s high-profile move to Paris, reflected on the challenges of integrating superstar players into the squad.

“Messi wanted to stay at Barça, but from the moment Barcelona couldn’t keep him, PSG was the first choice,” he told RMC.

“After that, there was a lot of misunderstanding. It was difficult for him. He had been in the same place for 20 years, and then you move. Saying he wasn’t happy is a way of defending himself. There was the elimination at Real Madrid; it was complicated.”