The Dortmund defender hit out at the culture of the mega-rich Paris club
Belgium and Borussia Dortmund right-back Thomas Meunier has launched a scathing attack towards his former club, Paris Saint-Germain, ahead of their Champions League tie with Atalanta.
The 28-year-old was speaking to Belgian broadcaster RTBF, and alleged a culture at the club of “outrageous” parties and hit out at “cowardly” officials over the manner of his departure.
While he insisted that he enjoyed his time at the club, Meunier was less kind when discussing the level of opulence from the club and its owners, Qatar Sports Investments.
“Nothing but birthday parties – incredible,” he said in the interview, which was translated by DW. “When I was at Bruges, we’d celebrate birthdays by playing darts or pool in a bar, but here it’s just outrageous. But that just reflects the club: hire a palace, hire a building, parties with hundreds of people. That’s when you see that they’re more than footballers; they’re stars.
“I always had a good time but it was all a bit extravagant and ‘did you see me?’ But that’s part of it, part of the game.”
Meunier, who played more than 120 times for the French champions before leaving for Dortmund last month, also revealed that he had requested to finish PSG’s Champions League campaign, which they continue on Wednesday, but that the Parisian club refused to negotiate a way for it to happen.
“I would have liked to have played,” he said. “I was with my agent in Dortmund and I was almost on my knees begging for permission to let me end the season in the Champions League with PSG.
While PSG’s sporting director Leonardo rebuked Meunier’s claims, he added: “I simply had to pack my bags and I received a letter from the club’s lawyer which said I was no longer welcome and could no longer come to training, not even in my final week. I found that unbelievable.”
