Marco Verratti soap opera continues for underachieving PSG
PSG beat Lille 1-0 Friday night to temporarily close the gap on leader Nice, whose 4-1 win over Nantes kept it six points clear, but the main talking point was again Marco Verratti, whose agent threatened to take him out of France.
“I remain stunned when I read certain criticism,” Donato di Campli told RAI Sport. “The French press ought to be honored and thank their lucky stars if Marco plays in Paris, otherwise they’d be reporting on friendly games between locals. If they continue like this, he really will leave Paris. It’s not just the media, but others who criticize him and don’t understand football. I speak to other clubs and coaches in other teams who think very differently.”
We have to take these comments with a pinch of salt, given that four days earlier, Le Parisien reported Di Campli saying: “Verratti wants to win the Champions League in France; for now, it does not move at PSG.”
Verratti admitted that he has turned down interest from Real Madrid in the past, and PSG extended his contract this summer to ward off interest from Barcelona, Juventus, Inter Milan and Manchester United. PSG coach Unai Emery has said Verratti is an important player, but he is yet to get the midfield blend right this season.
Next summer could be an important one for Verratti, though it depends on if Emery has found a way to get the best out of him by then.
This article originally appeared on 
