“I prefer PSG under Nasser” — Jérôme Rothen chooses Al-Khelaïfi era over Michel Denisot

Former PSG player Jérôme Rothen heaped praise on club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi while addressing certain accusations.

Speaking in an interview with L’Equipe via Le10Sport, Rothen made his call between the Michel Denisot presidency and the current Nasser Al-Khelaifi one as he went with the latter due to the enormous amount of success during his era. Rothen compared both of the eras and brought out the faults of Denisot. The former PSG man said: “Do I prefer PSG under Denisot or under Nasser? I’d say under Nasser. He gave himself the resources to build an incredible team to try and win the most prestigious competition. It took time, and there was a lot of criticism. I think he also made some mistakes by piling up stars, forgetting that football is first and foremost a team sport and that you need to create a specific atmosphere in the locker room to be able to win.”

Rothen is often accused by mainstream media of being Al-Khelaifi’s mouthpiece, as he is seen praising the president numerous times over his present tenure. The FIFA Confederations Cup 2003 winner with France took the opportunity to address these charges. “They say I’m Nasser’s mouthpiece in the media? Yes, perhaps. To be a mouthpiece, you’d have to see him often, which isn’t the case for me. I have a lot of affection for him. I think it’s mutual. I have a lot of respect for what he brought to PSG, and he knows it; I’ve already told him,” answered Rothen.