Leonardo tells CM: Rabiot and Ibra committed to PSG
The 46-year-old talks exclusively to calciomercato.com about the current Serie A season as well as his plans for the future.
This Serie A campaign has been thrilling thus far…
“I am not surprised about that. There are lot of teams involved in the title race. Juventus are back on track after a difficult start to the season, while Roma are doing the other way round. They started very well, but they’re struggling now. Napoli have an amazing style of play, Inter are the table leaders, while Fiorentina seem the more consistent side at the moment.”
While Milan are not living up to expectations in the league.
“Milan have begun a transformation process since the last 2-3 years. They are working hard to go back where the club deserve. I reckon that Italian football is changing too, by the way. Serie A is not the league that used to be in the 90s, it is not Premier League. But I believe that Italian football can go back to the top if clubs put into practice the right ideas. They need to think long-term, invest on trainings, education and scouting to build teams that can be competitive straight away but also in the long run.”
Football has changed a lot in the last ten years. “Transfer market has changed a lot too, have a look at what happened at Inter, for instance. Moratti sold 70% stake to Erik Thohir. I don’t know if he’s going to sell the rest of it in the future, but I know he’s been very brave. Inter have new opportunities now. I am really in good terms with Massimo Moratti. He made history at the club and it is very difficult to imagine Inter without him. He always does everything for Inter’s good.
What about Adrien Rabiot? He has been recently linked with Juventus and Napoli.
“He is a young midfielder, but he is ready to play. PSG trust him a lot and I think he’ll remain at the club. PSG are playing lot of competitions and they will definitely need him. The club is forced to win every year, but they also need to think about the future. Areola (Villareal’s goalkeeper) and Bahebeck (St. Etienne’s striker) are part of the project too and they will be back to the club. Coman has decided to leave France by his own, it was not PSG to decide. It happened the same with Anelka in 1997, when he moved to Aresenal.”
Despite rumors, it seems that Ibrahimovic will remain at PSG too.
“He ‘s not only a great pro, he always makes the difference on the pitch. He has a strong link with both the club and the city. He has helped the team to become what they are now. I don’t know what he’s going to do with his future, but he is very close with the owner, they are really in sync.”
Any Italian player you like apart from PSG’s Marco Verratti?
“There are a lot of interesting talents in Italy right now, but the one that I like the most is Lorenzo Insigne, because he does different things compared to all the other players, he plays a different football.”
Is his striking partner Gonzalo Higuain the best forward in the world?
“If we only consider ‘pure’ strikers he is among the top 3-4. I really like him, but I don’t know if he’s the best. He is decisive and he is not afraid to take responsibilities. He is definitely among the best strikers together with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Robert Lewandowski and Luis Suarez.”
Neymar is not a classic-centre forward, but he has improved a lot too over the last few seasons. Does he deserve to win the Balon d’Or?
“It is difficult to edge closer to the level of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, but it is very important for him to have been shortlisted among best three players of the world. He is a different player than two years ago, he has improved a lot. He didn’t used to run without the ball as much as he’s doing now and he attempted far too many moves by that time. He is a more mature player now, he has learned how to work for the team and he has understand which are the club’s priorities. He is a special player and a serious contender for the Balon d’Or.”
Talking about ‘special’ people. What about José Mourinho?
“Mourinho has changed the way of coaching. He has made history. He has a complete different approach compared to Pep Guardiola. Mourinho has understand that football is changing and he needs to adapt to it, he’s going through a strange period but I am sure that he will manage to renew his style and he come back stronger than ever.”
Rumors suggested that you could have ran for FIFA Presidency. Can you confirm it?
“I can’t deny that some people have thought about me. I am not inside FIFA, but it is clear that politics of football can’t carry on this way. It has to be changed. I believe that an healthy management could help the production of football. Said that, I don’t think that I will run for FIFA Presidency.”
Manager or Director: Which job do you prefer?
“I closed a controversy with the French Football Association last Thursday and it was like the beginning of a new life to me. I became Adriano Galliani’s assistant at Milan after my retirement, before working for Inter and PSG. He is a great director, I have learned a lot from him and I will always be grateful to him because he gave me a chance at the end of my career. I keep my options open, but I consider myself a managerial coach and a sporting director who knows how things work on the pitch.”
