Presnel Kimpembe's Champions League career has been full of ups and downs. Since making his debut as a replacement for injured Paris Saint-Germain captain Thiago Silva in a 4-0 win against Barcelona, the French international has endured his share of disappointments, not least conceding a last-minute penalty that led to elimination against Manchester United and suffering final heartbreak against Bayern München last season. Yet having succeeded Silva as skipper and avenged the Bayern defeat in this year's quarter-finals, the centre-back is determined that this year, Paris will go all the way.
The day before the game, I learnt that Thiago Silva was ruled out. Honestly, I didn’t think about myself straight away. I thought that the coach might put Serge Aurier in the middle, or [Thiago] Motta at the time.
The coach came to see me in my room and told me that I needed to be ready because I was going to start the next day. Obviously, that was good news for me, but it was a lot of pressure. It was positive pressure, though. That was the game that kick-started my career. Most people didn’t necessarily know me yet, and that was nothing but positive for me.
I’d scored goals before then, but they didn’t count. [laughs] In 2019, I scored my first goal in the Champions League against Manchester United at Old Trafford. We won 2-0, and the whole team had a great game. I scored the first goal, which kind of opened up the game, and a lot of emotions and things came out of me at that point. I wanted to celebrate, but I was so emotional, and my team-mates were running after me, so I didn’t get to do what I wanted to do. I was lucky enough to be able to help the team and break the deadlock in that game, though, so that sticks in my memory.
The second leg was really disappointing because that handball led to the penalty that led to the goal that knocked us out. So, of course, for a Titi [child of Paris] like me and a fan of the club, above all, that was really difficult to get over. It took me some time to get back on my feet, but you have to be able to pick yourself up after you fall. That was a key moment in my career because it was the start of a major disappointment and a long moment of… How do I put it? A long moment of doubt, let’s say.
When the referee blew the final whistle, it was an immediate disappointment because we realised that we’d missed out on something big. A Champions League final against Bayern München was a big deal. We could see that we had the chance to be crowned European champions, so it still sticks in our throats, but with hindsight, we’ve realised that we achieved something incredible that the club had never done before. So we know that we wrote our names in history, and that’s something big that will remain etched in our memories.
That’s how we feel, obviously, because we were playing against the European champions. It was two big teams with big players facing off against each other, and we managed to put in the two performances needed to go through. We won the first leg having been put under a lot of pressure, but it was good because we were under pressure together. In the second leg, we did what was needed, with the whole team controlling the game well. We did lose 1-0, but overall, it was a complete performance, and we’re all really proud.
Presnel Kimpembe's Champions League career has been full of ups and downs. Since making his debut as a replacement for injured Paris Saint-Germain captain Thiago Silva in a 4-0 win against Barcelona, the French international has endured his share of disappointments, not least conceding a last-minute penalty that led to elimination against Manchester United and suffering final heartbreak against Bayern München last season. Yet having succeeded Silva as skipper and avenged the Bayern defeat in this year's quarter-finals, the centre-back is determined that this year, Paris will go all the way.
The day before the game, I learnt that Thiago Silva was ruled out. Honestly, I didn’t think about myself straight away. I thought that the coach might put Serge Aurier in the middle, or [Thiago] Motta at the time.
The coach came to see me in my room and told me that I needed to be ready because I was going to start the next day. Obviously, that was good news for me, but it was a lot of pressure. It was positive pressure, though. That was the game that kick-started my career. Most people didn’t necessarily know me yet, and that was nothing but positive for me.
I’d scored goals before then, but they didn’t count. [laughs] In 2019, I scored my first goal in the Champions League against Manchester United at Old Trafford. We won 2-0, and the whole team had a great game. I scored the first goal, which kind of opened up the game, and a lot of emotions and things came out of me at that point. I wanted to celebrate, but I was so emotional, and my team-mates were running after me, so I didn’t get to do what I wanted to do. I was lucky enough to be able to help the team and break the deadlock in that game, though, so that sticks in my memory.
The second leg was really disappointing because that handball led to the penalty that led to the goal that knocked us out. So, of course, for a Titi [child of Paris] like me and a fan of the club, above all, that was really difficult to get over. It took me some time to get back on my feet, but you have to be able to pick yourself up after you fall. That was a key moment in my career because it was the start of a major disappointment and a long moment of… How do I put it? A long moment of doubt, let’s say.
When the referee blew the final whistle, it was an immediate disappointment because we realised that we’d missed out on something big. A Champions League final against Bayern München was a big deal. We could see that we had the chance to be crowned European champions, so it still sticks in our throats, but with hindsight, we’ve realised that we achieved something incredible that the club had never done before. So we know that we wrote our names in history, and that’s something big that will remain etched in our memories.
That’s how we feel, obviously, because we were playing against the European champions. It was two big teams with big players facing off against each other, and we managed to put in the two performances needed to go through. We won the first leg having been put under a lot of pressure, but it was good because we were under pressure together. In the second leg, we did what was needed, with the whole team controlling the game well. We did lose 1-0, but overall, it was a complete performance, and we’re all really proud.
Presnel Kimpembe's Champions League career has been full of ups and downs. Since making his debut as a replacement for injured Paris Saint-Germain captain Thiago Silva in a 4-0 win against Barcelona, the French international has endured his share of disappointments, not least conceding a last-minute penalty that led to elimination against Manchester United and suffering final heartbreak against Bayern München last season. Yet having succeeded Silva as skipper and avenged the Bayern defeat in this year's quarter-finals, the centre-back is determined that this year, Paris will go all the way.
The day before the game, I learnt that Thiago Silva was ruled out. Honestly, I didn’t think about myself straight away. I thought that the coach might put Serge Aurier in the middle, or [Thiago] Motta at the time.
The coach came to see me in my room and told me that I needed to be ready because I was going to start the next day. Obviously, that was good news for me, but it was a lot of pressure. It was positive pressure, though. That was the game that kick-started my career. Most people didn’t necessarily know me yet, and that was nothing but positive for me.
I’d scored goals before then, but they didn’t count. [laughs] In 2019, I scored my first goal in the Champions League against Manchester United at Old Trafford. We won 2-0, and the whole team had a great game. I scored the first goal, which kind of opened up the game, and a lot of emotions and things came out of me at that point. I wanted to celebrate, but I was so emotional, and my team-mates were running after me, so I didn’t get to do what I wanted to do. I was lucky enough to be able to help the team and break the deadlock in that game, though, so that sticks in my memory.
The second leg was really disappointing because that handball led to the penalty that led to the goal that knocked us out. So, of course, for a Titi [child of Paris] like me and a fan of the club, above all, that was really difficult to get over. It took me some time to get back on my feet, but you have to be able to pick yourself up after you fall. That was a key moment in my career because it was the start of a major disappointment and a long moment of… How do I put it? A long moment of doubt, let’s say.
When the referee blew the final whistle, it was an immediate disappointment because we realised that we’d missed out on something big. A Champions League final against Bayern München was a big deal. We could see that we had the chance to be crowned European champions, so it still sticks in our throats, but with hindsight, we’ve realised that we achieved something incredible that the club had never done before. So we know that we wrote our names in history, and that’s something big that will remain etched in our memories.
That’s how we feel, obviously, because we were playing against the European champions. It was two big teams with big players facing off against each other, and we managed to put in the two performances needed to go through. We won the first leg having been put under a lot of pressure, but it was good because we were under pressure together. In the second leg, we did what was needed, with the whole team controlling the game well. We did lose 1-0, but overall, it was a complete performance, and we’re all really proud.
Presnel Kimpembe's Champions League career has been full of ups and downs. Since making his debut as a replacement for injured Paris Saint-Germain captain Thiago Silva in a 4-0 win against Barcelona, the French international has endured his share of disappointments, not least conceding a last-minute penalty that led to elimination against Manchester United and suffering final heartbreak against Bayern München last season. Yet having succeeded Silva as skipper and avenged the Bayern defeat in this year's quarter-finals, the centre-back is determined that this year, Paris will go all the way.
The day before the game, I learnt that Thiago Silva was ruled out. Honestly, I didn’t think about myself straight away. I thought that the coach might put Serge Aurier in the middle, or [Thiago] Motta at the time.
The coach came to see me in my room and told me that I needed to be ready because I was going to start the next day. Obviously, that was good news for me, but it was a lot of pressure. It was positive pressure, though. That was the game that kick-started my career. Most people didn’t necessarily know me yet, and that was nothing but positive for me.
I’d scored goals before then, but they didn’t count. [laughs] In 2019, I scored my first goal in the Champions League against Manchester United at Old Trafford. We won 2-0, and the whole team had a great game. I scored the first goal, which kind of opened up the game, and a lot of emotions and things came out of me at that point. I wanted to celebrate, but I was so emotional, and my team-mates were running after me, so I didn’t get to do what I wanted to do. I was lucky enough to be able to help the team and break the deadlock in that game, though, so that sticks in my memory.
The second leg was really disappointing because that handball led to the penalty that led to the goal that knocked us out. So, of course, for a Titi [child of Paris] like me and a fan of the club, above all, that was really difficult to get over. It took me some time to get back on my feet, but you have to be able to pick yourself up after you fall. That was a key moment in my career because it was the start of a major disappointment and a long moment of… How do I put it? A long moment of doubt, let’s say.
When the referee blew the final whistle, it was an immediate disappointment because we realised that we’d missed out on something big. A Champions League final against Bayern München was a big deal. We could see that we had the chance to be crowned European champions, so it still sticks in our throats, but with hindsight, we’ve realised that we achieved something incredible that the club had never done before. So we know that we wrote our names in history, and that’s something big that will remain etched in our memories.
That’s how we feel, obviously, because we were playing against the European champions. It was two big teams with big players facing off against each other, and we managed to put in the two performances needed to go through. We won the first leg having been put under a lot of pressure, but it was good because we were under pressure together. In the second leg, we did what was needed, with the whole team controlling the game well. We did lose 1-0, but overall, it was a complete performance, and we’re all really proud.
Presnel Kimpembe's Champions League career has been full of ups and downs. Since making his debut as a replacement for injured Paris Saint-Germain captain Thiago Silva in a 4-0 win against Barcelona, the French international has endured his share of disappointments, not least conceding a last-minute penalty that led to elimination against Manchester United and suffering final heartbreak against Bayern München last season. Yet having succeeded Silva as skipper and avenged the Bayern defeat in this year's quarter-finals, the centre-back is determined that this year, Paris will go all the way.
The day before the game, I learnt that Thiago Silva was ruled out. Honestly, I didn’t think about myself straight away. I thought that the coach might put Serge Aurier in the middle, or [Thiago] Motta at the time.
The coach came to see me in my room and told me that I needed to be ready because I was going to start the next day. Obviously, that was good news for me, but it was a lot of pressure. It was positive pressure, though. That was the game that kick-started my career. Most people didn’t necessarily know me yet, and that was nothing but positive for me.
I’d scored goals before then, but they didn’t count. [laughs] In 2019, I scored my first goal in the Champions League against Manchester United at Old Trafford. We won 2-0, and the whole team had a great game. I scored the first goal, which kind of opened up the game, and a lot of emotions and things came out of me at that point. I wanted to celebrate, but I was so emotional, and my team-mates were running after me, so I didn’t get to do what I wanted to do. I was lucky enough to be able to help the team and break the deadlock in that game, though, so that sticks in my memory.
The second leg was really disappointing because that handball led to the penalty that led to the goal that knocked us out. So, of course, for a Titi [child of Paris] like me and a fan of the club, above all, that was really difficult to get over. It took me some time to get back on my feet, but you have to be able to pick yourself up after you fall. That was a key moment in my career because it was the start of a major disappointment and a long moment of… How do I put it? A long moment of doubt, let’s say.
When the referee blew the final whistle, it was an immediate disappointment because we realised that we’d missed out on something big. A Champions League final against Bayern München was a big deal. We could see that we had the chance to be crowned European champions, so it still sticks in our throats, but with hindsight, we’ve realised that we achieved something incredible that the club had never done before. So we know that we wrote our names in history, and that’s something big that will remain etched in our memories.
That’s how we feel, obviously, because we were playing against the European champions. It was two big teams with big players facing off against each other, and we managed to put in the two performances needed to go through. We won the first leg having been put under a lot of pressure, but it was good because we were under pressure together. In the second leg, we did what was needed, with the whole team controlling the game well. We did lose 1-0, but overall, it was a complete performance, and we’re all really proud.
Presnel Kimpembe's Champions League career has been full of ups and downs. Since making his debut as a replacement for injured Paris Saint-Germain captain Thiago Silva in a 4-0 win against Barcelona, the French international has endured his share of disappointments, not least conceding a last-minute penalty that led to elimination against Manchester United and suffering final heartbreak against Bayern München last season. Yet having succeeded Silva as skipper and avenged the Bayern defeat in this year's quarter-finals, the centre-back is determined that this year, Paris will go all the way.
The day before the game, I learnt that Thiago Silva was ruled out. Honestly, I didn’t think about myself straight away. I thought that the coach might put Serge Aurier in the middle, or [Thiago] Motta at the time.
The coach came to see me in my room and told me that I needed to be ready because I was going to start the next day. Obviously, that was good news for me, but it was a lot of pressure. It was positive pressure, though. That was the game that kick-started my career. Most people didn’t necessarily know me yet, and that was nothing but positive for me.
I’d scored goals before then, but they didn’t count. [laughs] In 2019, I scored my first goal in the Champions League against Manchester United at Old Trafford. We won 2-0, and the whole team had a great game. I scored the first goal, which kind of opened up the game, and a lot of emotions and things came out of me at that point. I wanted to celebrate, but I was so emotional, and my team-mates were running after me, so I didn’t get to do what I wanted to do. I was lucky enough to be able to help the team and break the deadlock in that game, though, so that sticks in my memory.
The second leg was really disappointing because that handball led to the penalty that led to the goal that knocked us out. So, of course, for a Titi [child of Paris] like me and a fan of the club, above all, that was really difficult to get over. It took me some time to get back on my feet, but you have to be able to pick yourself up after you fall. That was a key moment in my career because it was the start of a major disappointment and a long moment of… How do I put it? A long moment of doubt, let’s say.
When the referee blew the final whistle, it was an immediate disappointment because we realised that we’d missed out on something big. A Champions League final against Bayern München was a big deal. We could see that we had the chance to be crowned European champions, so it still sticks in our throats, but with hindsight, we’ve realised that we achieved something incredible that the club had never done before. So we know that we wrote our names in history, and that’s something big that will remain etched in our memories.
That’s how we feel, obviously, because we were playing against the European champions. It was two big teams with big players facing off against each other, and we managed to put in the two performances needed to go through. We won the first leg having been put under a lot of pressure, but it was good because we were under pressure together. In the second leg, we did what was needed, with the whole team controlling the game well. We did lose 1-0, but overall, it was a complete performance, and we’re all really proud.
