Ekitike opens up on PSG, Kimpembe and the Parc des Princes

Hugo Ekitike (23 years old, forward, Liverpool) spoke at a press conference ahead of the French national team’s match against Iceland on Tuesday. The former Paris Saint-Germain player reflected on his time at the club, which he described as a learning experience without any hard feelings, and made a point of paying tribute to Presnel Kimpembe (30 years old), who recently left Paris. He also expressed his delight at returning to the Parc des Princes wearing the French national team jersey.

“No, it’s not about revenge. It’s football that speaks, I hung in there, I believed in myself. But to talk about revenge, no, there’s no hatred about what happened with Christophe Galtier or at Paris Saint-Germain. It was a learning experience. I have no regrets. I really progressed as a player and as a person at Paris Saint-Germain.

Kimpembe leaves Paris Presnel, it’s been a while since I’ve seen him but he was really a great guy, French, he was one of the people I spoke to the most during my time at PSG. I know he’s had a lot of difficulties and challenges in recent years because of his injuries. I was happy to see him lift that Champions League trophy, I know it meant a lot to him. I hope he’s happy with this move and we can only wish him the best for the future.

A return to the Parc? I’m really happy. The last time, I didn’t leave the Parc in the best way. Being able to come back with the French national team, it means a lot to me. It’s a special place, a stadium I know well. I can’t wait to go back there, see the fans and maybe even get some playing time to show what I can do,” he told RMC Sport.

Far from the image of a bitter player, Hugo Ekitike emphasized the formative aspect of his time at Paris Saint-Germain. Sidelined under Christophe Galtier, the 22-year-old forward believes that period allowed him to grow, both as an athlete and as a person. In fact, he is now at one of the biggest clubs in the world.

He knew how to keep his head down. We know he is extremely ambitious and confident in his abilities. Maybe one day he’ll return to Paris, but his mentality is right, he’s learning, he’s neither bitter nor vengeful. He knows football is complex, that you have to perform at the right time. For him, the future is set, he will have a great career, and it’s up to him to make it exceptional.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.