The Lionel Messi era at Paris Saint-Germain will be discussed by many for years. One person involved in the Argentine arriving in the French capital in 2021 was former sporting director Leonardo.
Leonardo gave an interview with Corriere della Sera (h/t Paris Fans), where he defended Messi.
Furthermore, the Brazilian club chief took a swipe at PSG after he was asked whether the French giants will go through a revolution with Luis Campos at the helm.
“What does the famous joke already say? With me, it’s difficult, but without me, it’s impossible,” Leonardo said. “I’m really sorry about what happened. Leo is an extraordinary person and a champion worthy of entering the football Olympus with Pelé and Maradona.
“He has made a choice of life that will allow him to reconcile family and work as well as possible. If you go to war with Leo, you are not likely to die alone. With others, yes.”
Leonardo’s second stint with the capital club was chaotic and resulted in the Ligue 1 side having a bloated squad with players on high wages. As a result, it was challenging to move the players as most went on loan.
Nonetheless, Campos is ready to take PSG past Leonardo’s blunders, so there may be sour grapes on his end. The Brazilian also holds some responsibility for not building a team around Messi for investing high wages who had no future in Paris.