Legends
Ibra, Ancelotti and more: Mohamed Sissoko on Le Classique
His arrival
I was able to meet Leonardo, we were able to talk. He was able to explain to me a little bit how things were going to happen in the years to come. I believed in his project and that's why I signed for Paris Saint-Germain. It was a long-term project that was more than coherent. Leonardo's ambition was to bring in great players, win the Champions League, assert the club on an international scale and build a great club. I was excited by the project, by the fact that Paris Saint-Germain wanted to be ambitious and wanted to become a big name. I really wanted to be part of that project.
PSG's stature at the time
We were still two or three shades below my previous clubs. We're talking about Juventus, Liverpool, legendary clubs. Paris Saint-Germain had just arrived on the scene. We had to assert ourselves. We had to win. And then, from there, PSG was going to become a great club. Beyond being a big club at the moment, it is now a big brand on an international scale. Seeing PSG in this position today, I am not at all surprised.
His role
A leadership role, an experienced player, a player who could contribute. A player also who could make the link between the French and foreigners, because I speak several languages. It is true that there were a lot of Italians at that time. So, because I speak Italian, I tended to explain the exercises to them or help them in their daily lives in France. Whether it was Salvatore Sirigu or others, I think I helped them all more or less. In any case, I hope I was able to help them.
The arrival of the stars
I knew! Who says ambition, says bringing in great players, a great coach. And we saw it later. I was already warned and excited to see that great stars were going to arrive. We are talking about a very beautiful city. Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Add to that a club with ambition, a club that can assert itself on an international scale... It's normal to see the excitement around the team grow. Having played in big clubs, I wasn't that surprised. I knew that the club was capable of attracting big stars. We saw it later with arrivals like Messi, Neymar and others.
The contributions of Zlatan Ibrahimović and Thiago Silva
They brought a lot; they brought their aura. They brought a lot of changes to the training center, a lot more professionalism. Before, we had been going to the training centre and Zlatan banned this. He said that it was better to stay at home and arrive, a bit like in England, two or three hours before the match. Afterwards, in terms of all the details that were involved with the players, it was important to have more freedom and to have more responsibilities as a player. I think that Zlatan had an impact on the development of Paris Saint-Germain.
Carlo Ancelotti
We had a very good collaboration. For me, he is a great coach who knows how to manage his team. He knows how to run a locker room with big stars. Our collaboration was short but I only have very good memories. The little anecdote is that at one point, I was not very well. He told me: "Momo, I don't want to see you at the training center for a week, go to Dubai, go enjoy your family, and come back when you are well". These are details that make a coach leave a mark on you. Carlo Ancelotti left a mark on me.
His best memory
It's having shared great moments with all the players, having been able to contribute to the development of Paris Saint-Germain and having been part of the first Qatari era. Also, having worn the armband during a Classic was beautiful. It was beautiful for me and my family. I only have good memories.
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