PSG president calls for end to ‘celebrity behaviour’

Paris St-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi says it is time players at his club started to ‘assume their responsibilities’ as he bids to end the celebrity culture within the club.

The Ligue 1 champions have endured something of a troubled season despite retaining their domestic title.

They were knocked out of the Champions League by Manchester United in the last 16 having surrendered a 2-0 first-leg advantage on their own patch while they also failed to win either of the French domestic cups for the first time since 2013. Off-the-field problems have also been apparent.

Talisman Neymar recently attended a police station in Sao Paulo to answer questions against him while Adrien Rabiot had been omitted from the squad by boss Thomas Tuchel after failing to sign a new contract. He has been linked with the likes of Juventus and Manchester United.

World Cup-winning forward Kylian Mbappe meanwhile has talked of reaching a ‘turning point’ in his own career and the possibility of seeking a ‘new project’ elsewhere. Al-Khelaifi has underlined what he expects from his players and says anyone that cannot toe the line is welcome to move on.

“The players will have to assume their responsibilities even more than before. It must be completely different,” the club president told France Football.

“They will have to do more, work more. They are not there to please themselves. “And if they do not agree, the doors are open, ciao! I do not want to have any celebrity behaviour anymore.”