[VIDEO] Okocha opens up after 14 years on why he left PSG

Kayode OGUNDARE:
Former Nigerian international and Super Eagles captain Austin Jay-Jay Okocha has opened the lid on why he dumped French giants Paris Saint Germain in 2002 following a big money move from Turkish side Fenerbahce after the France ’98 World Cup.

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The former Eintracht Frankfurt star joined Paris Saint-Germain in 1998 for £14 million, making him the most expensive African player at the time and, during his time, played 84 matches and scored 12 goals for the club.

Okocha, who was the guest of the club recently, revealed that differences with head coach Luis Fernandez about playing style, philosophy and a preference for other players convinced him to look elsewhere at the expiration of his initial four-year contract.

He said: “This is the first time I’m saying this but I think Fernandez was struggling to play Ronaldinho and me together at the same time. He was finding it difficult to trust Ronaldinho and I because he had his own ideas, his own players that he signed and his own philosophy.”

Ronaldinho had joined PSG in 2001, two years after Okocha, but was used mainly as a substitute by coach Fernandez who complained about the player’s off-the-pitch indiscretions. It was Okocha who took the young Brazilian under his wing and alongside fellow Brazilian Aloisio and Nicolas Anelka, they constituted a strong team even though they failed to win any title.

This inability to win anything was Okocha’s only regret at a club which he claimed gave him everything he needed to develop as a player.

“Ronaldinho was one of the best (players) I ever played with but he was not a regular while I was here. With Anelka, we had a strong team but we didn’t win anything. That was my greatest regret. A big disappointment because I couldn’t believe we won’t win anything with the kind of players we had,” the player who went on to star for and captain Bolton Wanderers of England said.

Asked if he would have been in the present PSG side which just won a third successive Ligue 1 title, Okocha replied in the affirmative.

“Of course. It is easier to play with great players than average ones and I would have been glad to play in this team.”

Okocha was back at Parc des Princes but AS Monaco spoiled his welcome party when they defeated PSG 2-0 on the night even though the home side had already wrapped up the title.

Nevertheless, Okocha was giving a rapturous welcome as he took the honourary kick-off to applause by Zlatan Ibrahimovic and other PSG stars.