Roma attacker Javier Pastore admitted that at Paris Saint-Germain he had ‘never the mentality’ to become the best but, at the same time, claimed he had grown ‘a lot’ as a player.
After seven years with Paris Saint-Germain, the Argentinean claimed to Argentine outlet TyC Sports that he had developed with the experience in France:
“I grew a lot. I played with some icons, with global status. It was nice to share the locker room with many players of this level and to have played seven years for such a club.
“I was the first to arrive with the new owners in 2011 and I have seen how much it has progressed. There have been many changes, always with improvement.”
But PSG, who qualified for the Champions League quarter-finals prior to the break, has struggled to make an impact in Europe:
“In the French League, in recent years, they have been superior to all the other teams. Many times, the games were over at half-time and the pace drops for the rest of the match.
“That’s what is missing in the Champions League games, where you can’t stop for a second. It happens because in France they play against teams that require limited effort.”
He eventually came back to Italy. Pastore returned to Serie A ahead of the 2018-19 season but only managed 30 games since the Giallorossi’s signing.
In Palermo, where he contributed 16 goals and 16 assists in 82 games, Pastore made his name in Europe and earned a move to PSG, but he has also become known as a player who prefers to leave the grafting to others.
“I never had the mentality to become No. 1. I play football like I did when I was a kid, to have fun,” he said. “They have asked me to help out more in defence and I have always tried to improve my strengths to hide my flaws. I think I’ve managed well.”
But he claims that his absence in defence with his coaches and teammates has not led to many arguments:
“No, much less with my teammates or coaches. There are 11 players on the pitch, each has his role and helps where he can.
“I don’t ask others to contribute in the attacking play, only that they give me the ball.”
Pastore has also said that Neymar is working hard to become the world football protagonist and take over after Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi:
“He wants to be number one and has the chance, he trains a lot. He can win any game on his own if he’s fit.
“He could have given far more than he did. Everyone must be in the right moment in a team that can help you take that leap, which is not easy.
“We are talking about reaching the level of Messi and Cristiano. But he has the potential.”
This term, Roma are battling for a place in the Champions League, trailing Atalanta by three points after playing yet another game, while their local rivals Lazio are competing with Juventus for the Scudetto.
The Giallorossi player joked that ‘ it could happen ‘when Juventus played Roma on the last day of the championship, they were the better side.
“It can happen, it can happen,” he joked. “It will depend a lot on how we will sit in the fight for the Champions League, but all the games must be won.”
Finally, he admits he could have done more himself:
“Yes, I think so, many people say so. When I went to Paris, I came from a very positive year at Palermo. I was the leader on the pitch.
“When players like Ibra [Zlatan Ibrahimovic] arrived, who took on a lot of responsibilities within the group, I stopped playing like the star.
“I always had the idea of living, but I never thought about being the best in the world.”
