'The recruitment was immense': Leonardo defends his spell as PSG's sporting director

Speaking to L'Equipe, Leonardo said: "We could have done better, you can always do better. We had the opportunity to do something exceptional and that's why I owe it to myself to thank Qatar.

"I've experienced something very intense. The idea was to build something which would stay even after you've left. I think the recruitment was immense [last summer]. You don't usually have those kinds of players available.

"There are always highs and lows. That's obviously what I believe, and when I look at the club I look upwards. Even the management is not as strong as the club. I've always put myself in a position to protect the club.

"All of my decisions were taken from that perspective. When I go out in the street, today, I see people who tell me, 'what a shame!'. OK, maybe they are saying that now because I've left. [laughs] But that's the feeling I get."

Leonardo has been working as Paris Saint-Germain's sporting director since 2019, overseeing Neymar's contract extension and the signing of Lionel Messi (among other things).

The Brazilian has faced massive criticism from supporters for bloating PSG's wage bill (which currently stands at around €630 million) while failing to win the Champions League

Source: L'Equipe