French Ligue 1
Idle asset! PSG to offload Sergio Ramos who pocketed at least £4m in wages, but no match yet
Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly refusing to rule out the possibility that they could rescind Sergio Ramos‘ mega-money contract and let him walk away from the club for nothing as his injury nightmare continues.
The Spanish defender moved to PSG on a lucrative free transfer in the summer but is yet to make his debut due to a calf problem that he initially suffered three months ago.
Ramos’ last appearance came in Real Madrid colours during their Champions League semi-final second leg defeat at Chelsea on May 5.
Although reports of Ramos’s salary vary wildly, even conservative estimates of £13million per season (£250,000 per week) would mean that he has already pocketed £4m without playing a single game since signing in July.
However, given his salary at Real Madrid was north of £300,000 per week, it is likely that he has pocketed an even larger sum for sitting in the stands at the Parc des Princes.
His lack of availability is frustrating PSG chiefs and reports in France say they are considering the prospect of tearing up his contract.
French outlet Le Parisien has claimed PSG would be willing to let him walk away from the club if his fitness problems continue to hinder his chances of selection.
It’s reported that the club feel they made a mistake signing the 35-year-old and are now contemplating their next move.
However, they would need to reach an agreement with Ramos first before they can tear up his contract.
‘The trust that some placed in the defender at the time of his signing, or even after his calf injury a few weeks later, is no longer unshakable today,’ reads the report in Le Parisien.
Ramos signed a two-year contract with PSG in the summer and it was hoped he could help the French side win the Champions League title that continues to elude their Qatari owners.
PSG were aggressive in the transfer market, bringing in Ramos, Lionel Messi and Georginio Wijnaldum on free transfers as well as splashing out on the likes of Gianluigi Donnarumma and Achraf Hakimi.’
They released a statement last week announcing that Ramos would be ‘considered’ for a return to training imminently.
It read: ‘The evolution of Sergio Ramos’ recovery program, co-ordinated by the medical staff, is progressing very well.
‘Continuous resumption with the group may be considered in the course of next week.’
Ramos was also recently criticised by French newspaper L’Equipe when they published a video mocking Ramos’ fitness woes and described him as a ‘ghost’.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side busy an important month as they bid to strengthen their grip on the Ligue 1 title race and qualify from a difficult Champions League group.
They face RB Leipzig on Wednesday night before domestic games against Bordeaux and Nantes are sandwiched between a mouth-watering trip to Manchester City.
-Daily Mail
French Ligue 1
Sacked former Cote d’ivoire coach, Gasset announces retirement as Marseille manager
Jean-Louis Gasset who was sacked by Cote d’Ivoire after the group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations last January has announced his retirement as a coach of Olympique de Marseille.
He will take charge of his last game on Sunday before retiring from management, the 70-year-old said on Friday.
Gasset was appointed as interim manager by the Ligue 1 club in February after the sacking of Gennaro Gattuso, and Marseille are eight in the standings going into their final Ligue 1 game of the season at Le Havre.
“Sunday will be the last match of my career,” Gasset told a press conference.
“That I stay in football, that my experience, my ideas and my networks are used is a possibility. I don’t know how to garden, I won’t have anything to do. But as a coach, it’s over.”
The Frenchman’s previous job was with Ivory Coast from which he was sacked after the team’s poor performances in the Africa Cup of Nations group stage. They scraped through as the last lucky losers before going on to win the tournament on home soil.
-Reuters
French Ligue 1
Departing Mbappe backs good friend Dembele to become Ligue 1’s best
Kylian Mbappe has backed winger Ousmane Dembele to be a success at Paris St Germain and fill his boots after he exits the club, as he won his fifth successive Ligue 1 Player of the Year award.
France captain Mbappe, 25, last week announced that he will leave the French champions at the end of the season after a seven-year stay, during which he became their all-time top scorer with 256 goals.
Mbappe’s frustration lies with PSG’s performances in the Champions League, a trophy they have never lifted despite huge investment in the squad. He has been heavily linked with a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid, who are in the final this year seeking a 15th European crown.
His 26-year-old compatriot Dembele joined the Parisian club, who have won 10 of the last 12 Ligue 1 titles, from LaLiga side Barcelona in August last year, signing a five-year deal.
“I have shared and played with incredible players, like Dembele who is here, he is a friend and one day he will pick up this award,” Mbappe said on Monday at the award ceremony.
“I thank the club as a whole, the coach, who has helped me and trusted me, his staff, the doctors, all the people at the club, the sporting management, the president, the shareholders of the club, of course, the Emir of Qatar who came to find me at the age of 18, who has accompanied me in all my decisions…”
He said his next chapter is going to be very exciting but did not reveal any further details.
“Now I’m turning the page in my life. Everything that comes next is super exciting, but that’s another subject,” Mbappe said.
“Thank you all, I’m going to miss you. I have always tried to do my best, and I also want to thank my family, who have always been with me in good times and bad.
“My father, who is here, I know that it was very important to him that I made history in Ligue 1 before I left and I think that with humility I have done everything you wanted.”
-Reuters
French Ligue 1
Mbappe Set To Quit PSG –
France captain Kylian Mbappe has informed Paris St Germain that he is leaving the club in July as a free agent seven years after joining them, The Athletic website reported on Thursday.
Mbappe, a member of France’s 2018 World Cup-winning team, signed for PSG from Monaco in 2017 for 180 million euros ($194 million) to become the second most expensive player ever after Brazilian Neymar, who joined the French champions the same year for 222 million euros.
“Mbappe has communicated his decision to PSG but the terms of his exit are yet to be fully agreed. An official announcement is expected once the situation is finalised in the next few months,” the report said.
The 25-year-old striker, who helped the capital club win five Ligue 1 titles and three French Cups, is PSG’s all-time leading scorer with 243 goals in 290 appearances.
PSG have not responded to a request for comment.
Mbappe last year sent a letter to PSG stating that he would not take up the option to extend his contract by a year when it expires in June.
He has long been linked with Real Madrid, reportedly rejecting a 200 million euro ($215.36 million) offer in 2021. He was again set for a move to the LaLiga side in 2022 before announcing a contract extension with PSG before the transfer window opened.
PSG, who lead the Ligue 1 standings by 11 points, host Nice on Friday.
-Reuters
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