Daniel Riolo was the guest of former Swiss Arsenal defender Johan Djourou, who hosts a podcast in which he receives personalities from the world of football. The RMC journalist and editorialist was asked to define his action plan if he were named president of his favorite club, Paris Saint-Germain.
Riolo sees two main aspects to address: the place of PSG within French football, with a role too disconnected and condescending for his taste, then the club’s sporting policy.
“The first aspect is the role of the president within French football. I consider that I am not alone in my championship and that my goal is not to crush it, but to ensure that it is competitive to enhance it. There needs to be agreement between the players in the championship to create strong competitiveness, like in Spain or England, where there is war on the pitch but there is a desire to make the league grow.
This is not what PSG does. We need to reconnect with everyone. The others are not lackeys and I am the big boss whose hand you all must kiss. I would work for the collective good of French football.
For the management of my club, I would try to define a global policy. (…) I would opt for a line. Not a shot from world stars, then the opposite after. And if there are stars, I don’t accept everything. We don’t throw sorrel in all directions and make sure they don’t want to leave. This is one of the club’s big problems in recent years. I wouldn’t hold anyone back. You want to leave, we find a club and we talk. And when I bring in a player, we don’t overpay him for the wrong reasons. This would be a good basis for long-term sports policy”.
Daniel Riolo has no intention of running for the presidency of Paris Saint-Germain, despite his harsh criticism of Nasser Al-Khelaifi. He also confided to Djourou that at 54 years old, he was starting to ask himself questions about the end of his journalistic career.
