Up to David Beckham to decide his future at club: Paris Saint-Germain
Beckham
- Agence France-Presse
- Updated: April 15, 2013 01:41 AM IST
Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Leonardo intimated on Sunday that coach Carlo Ancelotti would be staying at the runaway Ligue 1 leaders next season while a decision on David Beckham's future was up to the player himself.
"Carlo, like us (the directors), wants to win the league, the idea is to continue with him, he's very important to us.
"But it's not the time to talk about that, the idea is to first win the championship and the French Cup," the Brazilian told TF1 French television.
Leonardo added: "It's been a long time now that Real Madrid has been courting him," but Ancelotti denied any overtures from Madrid, telling TF1 "no,no, no Real Madrid (for next season)".
As for Beckham, who joined PSG in January on a six-month deal, Leonardo explained: "He was the first person I called when I arrived at PSG.
"He's a leader in the dressing room, it's a privilege to have him with us. We are trying to continue with him, but at 38 (Beckham turns 38 next month) it's up to him to decide.
"He has the desire to play, but there's all the rest, his life. PSG's doors are open, if he wants to stay on, he's going to stay on."
Leonardo then turned to his own future with the Qatari-backed French capital side who recovered from their Champions League quarter-final loss to Barcelona with victory over Troyes to open up a provisional 10-point lead in Ligue 1 on Saturday.
"As for me, I want to build something that works when I'm gone, I don't know, normally yes (I will stay) but in my life things are happening which I wasn't expecting.
"I didn't want to become a manager, but it happened, perhaps if one day there was a managerial job in England...but at the moment there's nothing.
"That sounds like a job application but it's not meant like that. I'm really happy here. And I've learned not to promise anything."
With the arrival of the club's wealthy new owners rumours abound about possible new arrivals at PSG, with one name in particular being bandied about, that of Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo.
Leonardo commented: "Ronaldo, he's in the Champions League semi-finals, even he doesn't know what's going to happen. The emotion changes every week, honestly, we don't know anything."