After the failure in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, the sporting director of the PSG Women’s team, Angelo Castellazzi, spoke to reaffirm the solid project of the Rouge & Bleu.
At the start of the 2024-2025 season, the PSG women have already taken a huge blow to the head with the elimination in the play-offs of l’UEFA Women’s Champions
League facing the Juventus (1-3, 1-2). The Parisiennes must now be content with the championship and the French Cup for this exercise. Enough to call into question the project of PSG ? In a daily interview The Parisianthe sports director of
PSG women, Angelo Castellazzireturned to the hot topics of recent weeks. Selected extracts.
Is it normal that PSG does not play in the Champions League?
“No, that’s not normal. We are not happy with this situation. But these things happen. What I want to emphasize is the club’s desire to continue and the club’s support in this difficult moment. THE PSG has won titles in recent seasons. But it is after negative results that we can see the determination and true strength of a club. »
Is it a PSG that has weakened or stronger competition?
“The general level is rising. It goes up everywhere
Europe. And we also see it in the first matches of the group stage this week, all close. There are more quality players. A while ago, they were all in the same clubs. Today, no. You can find two or three high-level players in each club. If you don’t perform well at the right time, the matches are difficult. There are also things to say about this elimination. The first goal of the first leg is offside, the third is scored while we have a player down… But we can’t dwell on that. The European level has risen. »
How to manage a squad that was built to play around forty matches, including the UWLC?
“Obviously, it’s a subject to confront. The coach, for managing playing time, and the management, to make it clear that the project remains the same. There is more pressure. The championship and French Cup become even more important. But there is also the possibility of working even better, taking advantage of the time we have. It’s not the dream situation but now that we have time, let’s take advantage of it to grow. The shock of the elimination was strong. Players asked themselves the question: What do we do? It’s up to us to manage things well to remain efficient. »
How does he manage the instability at the club (four different coaches since 2021)?
“The project is solid. Today, we have almost the entire workforce with a contract of several years. The structure, I’m talking about the club’s departments, is not changing. Yes, the coach changed and players left for several reasons. For the rest, I am convinced that the club is stable. From communication to medical staff. Some things were not planned, yes. We tried to manage them as best as possible. »
Was this summer’s big transfer window difficult to achieve?
“Yes, because competition is also increasing in the transfer window. There are many clubs and the desire of the players has changed. For example, we gave away Clare
Hunt (Australian international defender) to
Tottenhamwho does not play Champions League. I spoke with her a few days ago and she is very happy. The stadiums are full, she plays… She was happy Paris but if she had stayed and not played, it was no use. There is also the economic part that must be monitored. We try to manage it well and maintain a balance. »
Should we be worried about the extension of Marie-Antoinette Katoto, whose contract ends in June 2025?
“The goal is to have the best players but a contract, I always repeat, is the will of two parties on a single project. We are looking for people who want to be at
PSG with the same project, with the desire for results. This is the same case for all players at the end of their contract. The discourse does not move: there must be a will to remain
Paris and to be happy. Afterwards, we look for solutions (…) The goal is to quickly manage all the ends of the contract. The transfer window ended in mid-September. In ten days, there is the first international break. I think this will be a good time to start discussions. Women’s football is evolving and so are the timings. We need to prepare as quickly as possible. »
