Since 2012, Italian midfielder Marco Verratti has been an integral part of PSG’s exploits in Ligue 1. Being one of their longest-serving players with over 400 appearances, Verratti is considered a club legend by many.
Back in 2016 and 2017 the Italian almost signed for Barcelona as reported by his former agent Di Campli.
Di Campli’s Criticism
Back in 2021, Di Campli heavily criticized PSG and the extent they go to keep their players. Now almost after 2 years, he has again spoken against the French Champions now that they are facing a similar situation with their superstar Kylian Mbappe .
According to the former agent, PSG is like a jail and their attitude is always blackmail. Di Campli wanted his client to play for clubs like Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona. Verratti and Di Campli were both ready for their new chapter at FC Barcelona.He went on to say that President Nasser AL-Khelaifi warned him that if he tries to continue his operations with Barcelona, Verratti would have to let him go. Unfortunately, it did end up happening as the midfielder fired his agent shortly after.
It was revealed by Di Campli that after initial contacts with Barcelona, PSG convinced him to stay and said that they were going to buy Neymar and build the whole team around him. Despite Barcelona Ex-President Bartomeu calling them several times to discuss the transfer, Al-Khelaifi never bothered to pick up the phone.
🗣️ Verratti's former agent: “Players are imprisoned at PSG, there is even blackmail…When we decided to go to Barcelona, the emir didn't like it. Al Khelaifi told me, if I keep trying to take him away, I would be fired and that's what happened. I'm certain Marco was scared.”… pic.twitter.com/yIoouZCvLr
Looking back Di Campli has no hard feelings for his former client because he knows that Verratti was scared and had little to nothing to do with the firing. He went on to say that the saga that happened with Verratti is one of the ugliest experiences he has ever faced and that not only he faced against a club but the entire state.
Di Campli believes that Neymar is also locked in a golden prison and neither the Brazilian nor his former client will be leaving Paris soon as their contracts are seemingly impossible. He went to reveal that the French Ligue 1 is a championship of lies and PSG controls it all from the backstage . The players are well informed about these shady activities but choose to stay there because of the fat pay checks and also none of the things happening are in their hands.
Di Campli also said that whenever someone goes against them, everything becomes personal. He remarked that it is a club with no soul and the owners and president think that they can buy everything with money.
Kylian Mbappe is currently facing a very difficult situation where PSG has made it very clear that he won’t be leaving for free next season. PSG will be definitely be looking to either sell the French superstar or somehow convince him again to sign another extension. At the end the former agent also remarked that PSG is a plastic club and history cant be bought. But he believes with Leonardo Araujo as the sporting director things will change but seems very unlikely with the club’s hierarchy being very lazy with money.
