Nenê hails the current PSG and backs the QSI project

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·17 septembre 2025

Nenê hails the current PSG and backs the QSI project

Nenê, a 44-year-old forward from EC Juventude who notably played for Paris Saint-Germain from 2010 to 2013, spoke to L’Equipe this Wednesday. Naturally, the conversation touched on PSG and their Champions League title last season, as Paris begins the 2025-2026 campaign tonight against Atalanta (kick-off at 9 PM, broadcast on Canal+). It was an opportunity for him to express his admiration for the current squad and to defend the construction of the team under the QSI project since 2011.

Nenê: "Damn, it was worth the wait."

Did you follow PSG's journey in the Champions League? Of course. I had a blast. The supporters deserved it. The Champions League is special. PSG is still a young club compared to others that are fifty years older. It was a long process, but each year they gained a bit of experience. When you see the final, the manner, you think: "Damn, it was worth the wait." It was magnificent, almost easy. What did you like about this team? The connection between the group, the coach (Luis Enrique), the supporters, everyone pulling in the same direction as if they were one person. It hasn’t always been like that. We talked about it among former players, we were all behind them. Very happy for Nasser (al-Khelaïfi, the president), for the people there since my time.

Nenê: "There were phases."

Has the club wasted time since QSI's arrival? But we didn’t know what the right path was! They wanted to do it faster, no one thought it would be this difficult. There were phases. Like building with Lego. "We do this. Oh, that's not good. Here, we need to take a turn, here, we need this..." And in the end, the story is even more moving."

It's terrible to see this desire to criticize, to find things to "bring down." PSG won the Champions League last season, in a certain phase of its evolution. This indicates that it has grown well since 2011. But it’s far from meaning that what was done before was full of mistakes. The question is almost embarrassing.

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A football team is built and needs something strong, a special chemistry based on a solid foundation of the club, to win this trophy. Paris wasn't that far off several times in previous years. Including 2020, but not only. It's not a matter of wasted time.

Simply, there were different angles to move forward. To have such a strong group today, the rest was not useless. The arrival of stars took the club to the next level, in terms of image, revenue... and results. Reaching the quarter or semi-finals of the Champions League is not nothing. PSG has established a solid place in the European top, which then facilitates arrivals. It had to grow. This for a superb victory in the end, even stronger after the defeats experienced.

Nenê: "In hindsight, maybe I would have stayed. But I hold no grudges."

"Does your departure remain a small wound? A wound, why? No, no. It was a shared decision. At the time, Leonardo (sporting director) and the management wanted to wait (for his extension). Everything was new, we were discovering. People tell me: "You left too soon." It was the moment. I didn’t want to wait considering what I had done (21 goals in 2011-2012, joint top scorer in L1 with Olivier Giroud, champion with Montpellier). I was impatient because I was competitive. In hindsight, maybe I would have stayed. But I hold no grudges."

It's a classic question for the Brazilian: regrets about his departure, perhaps premature? Nenê doesn’t hide that he could have made a different choice, knowing what happened next in Paris. But it’s always easier to judge afterward. A career is not simple; there are many parameters. The forward can especially be proud of his journey and the image he left at PSG.

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