Mistakes and hope: Ruiz-Atil holds his hands up

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·12 de septiembre de 2025

Mistakes and hope: Ruiz-Atil holds his hands up

Kays Ruiz-Atil, 23 years old, an attacking midfielder trained at Paris Saint-Germain, opened up extensively to RMC Sport. The former Parisian Titi acknowledges his youthful mistakes, including parties, excesses, and a lack of listening, which hindered his progress. Today, he claims he wants to make a comeback and become the player many predicted would reach the highest level.

Ruiz-Atil "I agree with what they said"

"He (Herrera) didn't say it maliciously. I agree with what they said," assures the attacking midfielder in a long interview with RMC. "It's true that I was young, I did things I shouldn't have done. After all, most people who talk today, if they had been in my place when they were younger, they might have done the same thing, or even worse. Some have done worse, but it didn't bother anyone. Since I was in the media spotlight very young, I'm an easy target."

Ruiz-Atil "I didn't want to listen"

Herrera and Di Maria said it. I traveled by private jet, dressed in designer brands, the parties... It's very hard to resist when you have access to all that and you see everyone saying yes to you. I was young, I didn't want to listen to anyone. My mother and my uncle always told me: "Be careful with what you're doing," but I didn't want to listen. I did as I pleased. People say I was greedy in negotiations, that's completely false. I was never greedy about what I asked for to extend my contract or in the contracts I signed. The only thing that interested me was the sports project.

Ruiz-Atil "It was time to lay low"

His departure from Auxerre I told myself that I needed to stop going out and everything that comes with football. I'm someone who has a hard time keeping quiet, and when something doesn't please me, I will say it. But I told myself that now was the time to lay low. So people would forget about me a bit.

Ruiz-Atil "In football, there are many malicious people"

I was supposed to leave this summer, but it couldn't happen, almost because of what came out, regrets Ruiz-Atil. It had significant repercussions and impacted the discussions we had with certain clubs. Because they think I'm still like before. They don't want to give me a second chance. In football, there are many malicious people. I want to return to where they predicted I would be. The second is to be one of the best players in the world. I hope to catch up with my roadmap."

Talking about Kays Ruiz-Atil is to evoke a typical case of young talents exposed too early to the harsh spotlight of professional football. Trained at Paris Saint-Germain, he experienced very young what many players never touch: easy money, constant solicitations, and excessive expectations. Growing up parallel to this world where everything seems allowed is a challenge.

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The temptation is immense, and few are those who do not get caught up in excesses. When a teenager becomes an "easy target," he is judged more harshly than others, sometimes condemned for similar mistakes. In this context, Ruiz-Atil's admission is touching in its sincerity.

His mea culpa proves that he has become aware of what many never admit: that football can crush a player before they even reach maturity. Acknowledging his weaknesses opens the door to possible redemption, and his ambition to become one of the best suggests the hope of a second chance, this time on more solid foundations.

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