In speaking with RMC, via for France midfielder Jérôme Rothen’s radio show, Rothen On Fire, OGC Nice striker Andy Delort (30) explained that he saw significant Ligue 1 interest before he joined Christophe Galtier’s side in the summer. Delort was asked:

Are you confirming that OM were interested in you? “Yes, yes.”

Lyon too?“There was also Lyon, yes. You have the right information… But I’m very happy to have arrived at this club at this time. With the squad we have and the season we’re in, I’m very happy. I feel that the club wants to evolve, to grow. Everything is going well.”

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As reported by Foot Mercato, PSG sporting director Leonardo’s position is under serious threat at the club as those watching in Qatar have serious doubts over if the Brazilian should continue in Paris

Frustration has arisen following Leonardo’s inability to, once again, move players out of the club in January while strained relations with coach Mauricio Pochettino have reflected badly on the former AC Milan man with Pochettino frustrated on the club’s inability to secure his main target, Tanguy Ndombele. Leonardo’s dithering over Kylian Mbappé’s future could be the biggest mistake of all after time was wasted in a vague attempt to sell the player while a fee was still possible.

Tottenham’s Fabio Paratici has again been linked as a replacement by the outlet with relations reportedly strained between Paratici and Spurs coach Antonio Conte. Leonardo, meanwhile, could leave Paris in the summer, although nothing is definitive as yet in either case.

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As reported by RMC, Neymar will wear a pair of Batman-inspired boots this weekend in Ligue 1 as the Brazilian forward’s PSG face Saint-Etienne.

The 30-year-old is a big fan of the DC Comics character and attended the premiere of the new Robert Pattinson film The Batman on Monday evening, posing with the Batmobile.

Neymar revealed his black and red custom-made boots by his sponsor Puma via Instagram yesterday. He already sports a Bat-Signal tattoo on his back and even sported a Batman-inspired haircut during the November international break.

This isn’t the first time the forward has worn a pair of custom-themed boots after a pair of Fortnite-inspired boots were seen towards the end of last season.

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In speaking to Sud Ouest, Clermont defender Vital N’Simba discussed the incredible story of how he and his family arrived in France when he was a child after fleeing Angola. The N’Simbas were able to stay in France due to his brother’s need for medical care due to a disability caused by contracting meningitis as a baby. The 28-year-old explained:  

“In 1999, my father had problems in Angola. He was part of the presidential guard and he lost a shipment. They thought he was part of a conspiracy, when he had actually been robbed… We had to leave the country in a hurry because he risked being imprisoned, or even killed. We went to Italy for a few days, then we went to my uncle’s house in Toulouse for about ten months. Then we joined a home for asylum seekers in Villenave-d’Ornon for five years… Finally, we were lucky enough to be naturalised and we were able to find a small house in La Bastide, Bordeaux.”

“My little brother was in a special medical centre. Expelling us would have made the situation very complicated for him, he risked dying in Africa because he wouldn’t have been able to receive the appropriate care there. Many people helped us and our case arrived on [Bordeaux major] Alain Juppé’s desk. He decided to take care of us and he did everything to ensure that we received papers and accommodation.”

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In speaking with L’Équipe, Marseille man Dimitri Payet talked about being an elder statesman in a young squad and how his controversial move away from West Ham in January 2017 came about.

You often forge a passionate bond with your clubs, especially with West Ham. The fans, and even captain Mark Noble, still don’t understand your departure from the club.“I left West Ham more for family reasons than sporting ones… To be good on the pitch, I have to be happy, and if my family isn’t happy, I can’t be. So I made the choice to go home. It wasn’t on a whim or a backtrack because, since I came back here, I haven’t moved and I don’t intend to. It was a thoughtful decision.”

Your former teammate James Collins said the Dimitri Payet who returned from Euro 2016 wasn’t the same.“It all started there. I’d left Marseille when it wasn’t planned, because the club needed to sell. I’d said that the story wasn’t over. The EUROs in France, and in particular the matches at the Vélodrome, rekindled the flame in me and in my family. This sped up the return process.”

You’ll be 35 in March, are you often reminded of your age in the Marseille dressing room?“Not often, but I feel it, especially during the weeks with three matches when I realise that I no longer have the legs of my twenties. If I want to last, I’ll have to adapt. But the most important thing is desire and I have that. Plus, I’ve always been friends with the younger players… Honestly, the age difference isn’t noticeable, except maybe on days off. Some go to Paris, some to Barcelona, ​​and I go to see my kids matches! (Smiles)”

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L’Équipe report today that several Marseille players are considering setting up a meeting with manager Jorge Sampaoli to voice their concerns over the Argentine’s tactical choices.

Questions have been raised regarding the coach’s ever-changing lineups and man-management, as well as the little time afforded to the attacking set-up in training sessions.

Sampaoli has differing relationships with his players, being very close to some and distant to others. In the latter group, Amine Harit has scarcely been used and does not feel part of the project anymore.

Defender Álvaro González had been dropped of late and made his feelings known in the Spanish press. His fellow Spanish-speaking teammates Leonardo Balerdi and Pol Lirola who also harbour doubts on their manager’s choices, while Arkadiusz Milik – who lives in the same building as him – has indirectly expressed his confusion at often starting on the bench.

President Pablo Longoria – who had pushed to sign the Pole last year – has been in a particularly difficult position, having to appease the striker’s entourage while keeping faith in his manager.

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Veteran goalkeeper Steve Mandanda has also had trouble understanding his lack of game time, especially given the lack of explanation by Sampaoli. The Marseille legend has a host of allies in the dressing room, who are as bemused as him over the situation, although they appreciate Pau López.

Among the players to side with Sampaoli are Boubacar Kamara – who is set to leave the club – and Dimitri Payet, whose constant presence in the team and public praise from his manager have helped. In general, those with the most game time are unlikely to be part of the dissenting group – the likes of Mattéo Guendouzi, WIlliam Saliba, or Gerson.

Paris Saint-Germain have announced today that Spanish midfielder Ander Herrera has been sidelined as a result of an eye infection.

The former Manchester United man had posted a picture of himself on social media yesterday displaying his swollen eye, prompting speculation as to the nature of the injury.

Meanwhile, his compatriot Sergio Ramos has resumed running exercises as he recovers from a calf injury which has plagued his time at PSG so far.

Achraf Hakimi will also miss this Saturday’s trip to Nice, but will return to training the following day – a boost for Les Parisiens ahead of the midweek second leg against Real Madrid. Layvin Kurzawa will also return to training sessions the same day, while midfielder Leandro Paredes has done so today.

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In an interview involving several Rennes players for RMC Sport, midfielder Jonas Martin notably recounted an anecdote regarding forward Martin Terrier’s relationship with social media when both were at Strasbourg.

The latter, who broke through on a season-long loan deal from Lille at the Alsatian club, would sign a deal in January of 2018 to join Lyon at the end of the campaign.

Jonas Martin explains that during that season he had taken Terrier under his wing, and that amid a strong start to the season the latter would look at Twitter reactions. He recounts telling him to be wary of social media, because things could quickly turn sour once he stopped scoring.

Despite Terrier’s reassurances that he wouldn’t care, criticism soon came in after his goalscoring run dried up at the turn of the year. Martin explains that he twice found the forward on the edge of tears after typing his name into the Twitter search bar after games and seeing the barrage of criticism.

“It kills your confidence. Go speak with those who know about football. You don’t know who’s hiding behind social media. There is mean-spiritedness, but you are the most disappointed when you’ve had a bad game. You get home, you’re disgusted, you’re not going to sleep, the week’s going to be long – Martin suffered from that.”

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Having scored a hat-trick to eliminate Paris Saint-Germain from the Champions League this evening, Karim Benzema spoke to RMC Sport.

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“There were two matches: the first leg, where we weren’t good, and this one. We saw a different Real Madrid, with a high block and a lot of pressure. We pushed. We showed today that we are a big team, even if PSG are too, and that we deserve our place in the quarter finals.”

On PSG and Kylian Mbappé:

“They have world class players. They’re missing success, in the first leg they could have scored more goals. Kylian is disappointed, he wanted to shine. In the first leg he had a great game. In the second, he scored in the first half but after that we managed to silence him well.”

Since joining PSG in 2017, Neymar’s performances have lurched between the divine and the disinterested, between showman and ruthless match winner. Although his record of 91 goals and 56 assists in 133 Paris games is impressive, there’s a sense that what he’s achieved in more generally terms has underwhelmed given his colossal talent.

However, although Neymar’s attitude towards some games remains frustrating, his impact in Paris should be, at least partly, reassessed due to the slow start of Lionel Messi (probably they greatest player of all time) at PSG.

Messi’s two goals in 16 Ligue 1 games, so far, falls well short of the 19 in 20 Neymar managed during his first Ligue 1 campaign. Messi has struggled to adapt to Ligue 1’s pragmatic, physical style like Neymar did. Even if Neymar has often railed against the treatment he’s received, after some agricultural challenges have equalled lengthy periods out injured.

Although much is made of Neymar’s alleged over-egging of Ligue 1 defenders’ less-respectful tackling, he’s usually continued to boldly take on whatever’s thrown at him, even after various injuries. Messi, meanwhile – at least in front of goal, he does lead Ligue 1 for assists this season – has often been kept at arm’s length by French defenders. It’s a feeling that, maybe after watching his friend miss so many games due to ankle problems, appears to be somewhat mutual – subconsciously or otherwise.

Although Messi has been picked off and crowded out more often in Ligue 1 than he was in La Liga, his impact has still been far greater than the French press are willing to admit. However, his inability to fully impose himself both underlines the heightened quality and effective stoicism of French football and goes to show that, despite admittedly having a distinct age advantage over the Argentine, Neymar’s ability to better navigate such obstacles should be looked back on with greater admiration. 

Messi is still Messi, even if he is closing in on 35, and he could yet tear Ligue 1 apart as many predicted he would – he’s already come through for PSG in the Champions League, an area where Neymar has been less effective. But, for now, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé are the only PSG players to be able to claim to have done so, despite similar barriers. As a result, no one has done more for Neymar’s reputation in France than Lionel Messi.

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