Kimpembe: Winning one Champions League with Paris is more valuable than five with Real Madrid or other teams

French central defender Kim Pembe, who ended his 20-year career in Paris this summer and joined Qatar SC, accepted an exclusive interview with French media Foot Mercato and talked about the feeling of winning the Champions League with Paris.

Looking back on the night when Paris won the Champions League on May 31, 2025, as a child of the club, how did you feel when the final whistle sounded?

The emotion is indescribable. I am a player trained by the club itself. I have spent my entire career here. We have struggled for many years for this moment. We fail and fall, but we get back up every time. We showed resilience and it wasn't easy. As I always say, the pressure of playing in Paris is different from that of other clubs, and winning one Champions League in Paris is more precious than winning five Champions Leagues with Real Madrid or other clubs. Of course, this is no disrespect to other clubs, I have great respect for all clubs that have won the Champions League, but to win the Champions League in Paris is very special. We've all been looking forward to this moment for years and we've worked so hard for it. It's been a very difficult process and we've had difficult moments in the finals against Manchester United, Manchester City and Bayern, so to finally be able to lift the trophy is an incredible relief.

What is the difference between Paris now and Paris before?

The club has gone through a lot of changes, otherwise it would not be where it is today. But it has really changed recently, and I was lucky enough to be involved in the project in its early stages, but not to see it end, because the process never ends and there are always new developments. The Paris of the past cannot be compared to the present because football is not the same as it was then or tomorrow. Times are changing and I’ve been fortunate enough to play alongside so many players that I won’t list them all here, and I’ve learned a lot from each of them. Paris now pays more attention to teamwork and emphasizes that no one is above the club. We did have some players with outstanding personalities in the past, but now through signings and Enrique's coaching, fresh energy has been injected into the team, and everyone has contributed to the development of the team. The coaches I worked with in Paris were all good, but Enrique brings something new and a different style.