Kimpembe: Leaving Paris was to get out of the comfort zone and get as much playing time as possible

As the former vice-captain of Paris Saint-Germain, Kimpembe is now away from France playing for Qatar Sports in Qatar. In an exclusive interview with Foot Mercato, he talked about his new life and career-related topics.

About signing with Qatar Sports

It's very good, everything went smoothly. I'm happy to be here and the integration process has been smooth. I was lucky enough to join a club where I was very welcomed by my teammates. It's a little bit special for me now because it's my first time leaving Paris, so it feels very different. But I feel really good here.

On whether you like life in Doha

Everything went well. I recently had the pleasure of seeing my children as it was the school holidays. We have always maintained a close relationship which is very important and I feel great in this beautiful city. I already knew about this place because I had the pleasure of being here many times in the past, either with PSG or on holiday. Everything is very good.

About the standard of the Qatar League

Now that I am personally involved in this league, I have my own views on it. In the past, I only occasionally understood this league as a bystander. To be honest, I was pleasantly surprised because the level here is really good. Of course, it's not at the same level as Europe, that's for sure. But I found that this league is developing, and the league is also trying to attract some big-name players to make the game more competitive. We have seen this and experienced it. Every weekend it's not easy, it's a real battle. And to be honest, we had a great time here.

The behind-the-scenes story of leaving Paris Saint-Germain

I won’t go into details (laughs), but it was a bit of a special moment because it was the first time I was really in-depth in such negotiations with a club. I have one year left on my contract and I have said before that I have the opportunity to stay in Paris. Everything is fine with me at PSG, no problems. I just want to have fun playing football again. Suffice it to say, this time I was thinking more about my personal feelings than anything else, like family.

About why I chose Qatar

This was my personal choice. There were some other offers in Europe at the time but not many because I had just gone through a very complicated personal period for myself. I chose to come here because it was a new challenge. I spent my whole career at PSG. I was lucky to grow up at such a great club and train with the best players. I want to get out of my comfort zone and find new challenges and get as much playing time as possible. Now that it's all come true, I'm very happy with it.

Regarding my current physical condition after experiencing many injuries

I think the answer to this question is obvious. Just look at the fact that I can play 90 minutes in every game now. Physically, I feel great. When I first arrived, I communicated with the coaches and staff and asked them to give me two weeks to prepare so that I could better adapt to the temperature here. Despite the heat, I recovered in good conditions.