Nasser Al-Khelaifi opens up on PSG's present and future expectations

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi was visibly happy with his team's performance and Champions League qualification following their 1-1 draw against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, which meant Paris Saint-Germain will take part in the UCL round of 16 for the 12th season in a row.

Speaking to French outlet RMC after the game, Al-Khelaifi acknowledged PSG's original goal was to finish first in their group but emphasized the importance of qualifying despite a challenging group stage, no matter if they ultimately had to do so through the second place.

"We are happy with this match and this qualification even if our objective was to finish first. The most important thing is to qualify," Al-Khelaifi stated. He mentioned that PSG had numerous opportunities to score more goals in the match, although they couldn't capitalize and failed to win the game in Germany.

Discussing PSG's playing style under manager Luis Enrique, the man he chose to appoint last summer to lead PSG to European glory, Al-Khelaifi expressed happiness with everything, notably pointing out his and the team's preference for attacking football.

He also pointed out that PSG is among the youngest teams in Europe, indicating a focus on building for the future, which certainly aligns with the narrative and the agenda pushed by the higher-ups at PSG since the end of last season.

The PSG president praised wunderkind and Academy product Warren Zaire-Emery, describing him as a "magnificent player" and expressing pride in his performance at such a big stage at the ripe age of 17.

Regarding Zaire-Emery's potential contract extension, which is reportedly in the works already, Al-Khelaifi said, "He is Parisian and he wants to stay here. It is a great example for all Parisians," without revealing anything about the ongoing (or not) negotiations.

When questioned about potential arrivals and signings in the upcoming transfer window, Al-Khelaifi gave a non-committal response, although he left the door open saying, "I don’t know, there are still a few weeks ahead of us, we’ll see."