Parc des Princes attempt to see off Bernabeu approach.
PSG chairman Nasser al-Khelaifi has called on Real Madrid to Carlo Ancelotti’s Parc des Princes contract after making it abundantly clear they are seeking to lure the Italian to the Bernabeu.
In an interview to appear in its Tuesday edition, French sports daily L’Equipe said Nasser al-Khelaifi had warned Real that Ancelotti still had a year tying him to Parc des Princes.
“A few days ago, the director general director of Real Madrid (Jose Angel Sanchez) contacted me to talk about him (Ancelotti).
“I told them very quickly ‘ if you want to try to get Carlo, you must know he has a year left on his contract. So please respect us and respect this contract’,” L’Equipe quoted al-Khelaifi as saying in extracts of the interview on its website Monday.
“He apologised. He told me he thought that Carlo’s contract expired at the end of this season. I told him that was not so and that Carlo’s deal had another year to run. He said in that case they would take that on board.”
And al-Khelaifi added: “If he (Ancelotti) left that would be a problem.”
Real are widely expected to part company with Jose Mourinho this summer after three years with the Portuguese former Chelsea boss believed to be headed back to England.
Meanwhile, thousands of PSG fans were Monday evening set to throng the esplanade at Trocadero in the capital to celebrate the club’s first league title in 19 years – two years after a buyout by Qatar Sports Investments.
A bus carrying the squad – including England veteran David Beckham – was set to leave the Parc des Princes during the evening to participate in the party.
Several thousand fans were already gathering from the late afternoon and several let off flares as the supporters prepared to welcome their heroes.
In a separate development, al-Khelaifi told L’Equipe PSG sporting director Leonardo had been hospitalised overnight Sunday after being taken ill.
“Leo gives everything for the club – he has been totally committed to the cause. He has put heart and soul and his health and with all the emotion surrounding winning the title he has had a bit of a shock.”
Al-Khelaifi later told BeInSport television: “I talked to him on the phone and he is well, he had a check-up and he’s ok – just a bit stressed.”