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Leonardo left Paris Saint-Germain for the second time back in 2022. In his second stint at sporting director of _Les Parisiens,_ Leonardo has told **[RMC Sport](https://rmcsport.bfmtv.com/football/clubs/paris-saint-germain/l-histoire-aurait-pu-se-finir-plus-tot-mbappe-devait-partir-du-psg-en-2021-parce-qu-il-le-voulait-selon-leonardo_AV-202511190526.html)** that he could not stay at the club because of Kylian Mbappé’s (26) contract extension.
Mbappé’s extension at PSG came at the end of the 2021/22 season. The AS Monaco academy product held the now infamous ‘Mbappé 2025’ jersey alongside Nasser Al-Khelaifi. It felt like a victory for PSG – at the time – and it was celebrated as such.
However, it precipitated Leonardo’s departure from the club, and according to the sporting director, the deal should never have happened at all. _“He should have left in 2021,”_ argued Leonardo. _“He should have left because he wanted to leave. He wanted to leave, leave! That’s how I am. You can’t say, ‘No, please stay’, for me, that can’t happen.”_
##### Leonardo believes Mbappé should have left PSG in 2021
Not only did the contract extension extend Mbappé’s stay at the Parc des Princes for a further two years, it also reportedly gave him extra powers within the club. At the time, it was reported that the deal would see the France captain have a say on recruitment.
_“When he renewed, there were conditions for renewal that I didn’t agree with. I couldn’t stay,”_ who also evoked the Frenchman’s decision to remain at PSG: _“It wasn’t a question of money. He stayed because he is Parisian but he wanted to leave for Real Madrid.”_ And of course he did, joining the La Liga giants on a free transfer back in the summer of 2024. Since Mbappé and PSG have been locked in a legal dispute over unpaid wages and bonuses.
[GFFN](https://www.getfootballnewsfrance.com/#google_vignette) | Luke Entwistle