Former Croatian star Zvonimir Boban confirmed that Spanish coach Pep Guardiola has great respect for Paolo Maldini, who “did not violate his agreement” with the Italian Federation, stressing that the sporting director must make his decisions and bear responsibility.
The former Milan star spoke about the short period during which Maldini assumed the position of sporting director of the Italian Federation, which only lasted for two weeks at the beginning of this summer.
Maldini was appointed to the position alongside his advisor, Leonardo, and both Carlo Ancelotti and Guardiola were identified as candidates to assume the position of coach of the Italian national team.
Maldini's trip to Barcelona did not succeed in convincing Guardiola, but Boban was not surprised.
Boban said in statements to the Italian newspaper “Gazzetta dello Sport” that Guardiola did not feel enthusiastic about the matter.
He added: “Maybe he was not comfortable with the idea of not working every day on the field. I know that Guardiola has great respect for Maldini, but he knows that this is not the right time. We must all thank him. He gave a lot to football as a coach.”
Boban explained: “The matter depends on the nature of the agreement, and Maldini did not violate that.”
Regarding his opinion on appointing Pirlo as coach, Boban said: “As a coach, Pirlo has not achieved great success, but he knows what it means to coach the national team. He is not stupid, and the players see him as a football genius who has not yet appeared, but the manager makes his decisions and bears responsibility for them.”
French club Paris Saint-Germain achieved revenues exceeding 400 million euros from the departure of its players during the summer transfer period of 2026, the highest of its kind in the club’s history, while retaining the basic structure of the team that won the Champions League title for the second season in a row.
Paris Saint-Germain said in an official statement, a copy of which was received by the German News Agency (dpa) on Friday, that the club succeeded in achieving these revenues from the departure of six players, none of whom started in the last two final matches that the team played in the Champions League, so that the club collected huge financial revenues without abandoning any player from the squad that started the final match against Arsenal in Budapest.
The club said: “Bradley Barkola topped Paris Saint-Germain’s sales list this summer after he moved to Liverpool for 145 million euros, three years after joining the French team for 45 million euros. Portuguese Gonzalo Ramos also left for Milan for 75 million euros, plus 15 million euros in potential incentives, after Paris Saint-Germain had signed him in 2023 for 65 million euros, plus incentives.”
He added: “Ibrahim Mbaye, a graduate of the Paris Saint-Germain academy, moved to Aston Villa, England, for 60 million euros, while Randall Kolo Mwani left for Italian Juventus, for 50 million euros, after the French club achieved additional revenues amounting to 14 million euros from his loan fees to Tottenham, England, and Juventus.”
He explained: “The list of those who departed also included South Korean Lee Kang-in, who moved to Atletico Madrid in Spain for 40 million euros after joining Paris Saint-Germain for 22 million euros in 2023, in addition to Noham Kamara, a graduate of the club’s academy, who moved to Lyon in France for 4.1 million euros.”
He continued: “The total original cost of contracting with the players who left this summer was slightly less than 210 million euros, while the club’s figures indicate achieving capital gains approaching 200 million euros within a few years. Paris Saint-Germain’s tally in the summer of 2026 comes as an extension of its high revenues from player transfers during recent seasons.”
He said: “The French club occupies third place in Europe in terms of total player transfer revenues during the last five summer transfer periods, with a total of 788.55 million euros, behind Chelsea of England, which achieved 1.15 billion euros, and Manchester City of England, which collected 845 million euros.”
He added: “Despite achieving more than 400 million euros from the departure of players this summer, Paris Saint-Germain maintained all the elements of the starting lineup that played in the Champions League final in Budapest, which is an indication of the club’s attempt to combine maintaining technical stability and achieving large returns in the transfer market.”
At a time when his hopes for the title this season have become difficult, Charles Leclerc from Monaco, who has been living the passion of “Ferrari” in all its details since 2019, believes that crowning the “Formula 1” world championship in 2027 is “possible,” in an interview he gave on the eve of the Italian Grand Prix scheduled for Sunday, as fans of the Tifosi are still waiting a lot from the team’s drivers.
With his victory at Silverstone last July, the 28-year-old Monaco-born driver occupies only fifth place in the overall standings, remaining one of the most prominent Formula 1 drivers, without a world title.
Leclerc told Agence France-Presse, on the sidelines of the Dutch Grand Prix in late August: “It is certain that winning the world championship in 2026 will be a difficult goal to achieve, but for next year, I think it is still possible.”
Leclerc was the first driver this year to renew his contract with his team, which he considers “my second family.”
Leclerc, who is highly respected thanks to his talent and refined personality, was only an obscure 21-year-old driver when he found himself in 2019 within the ranks of the most famous and historic Formula 1 championship team.
He ranked second and third in the world championships in 2022 and 2024, while he has nine victories in the championship races, including a victory on his home soil in Monaco and two victories in Monza.
Everything would have been smiling for the newly married young driver, who also proved his skill in the business world and became a star on social networking sites, with about 33 million people following him across various platforms, had he not sometimes suffered from emotional and emotional sensitivity that cost him some situations during his career with Ferrari, where there is unparalleled pressure, which increases in intensity with the enormous enthusiasm of the “Prancing Horse” fans.
“I have changed a lot,” Leclerc says. Because experiences, whether good or bad, make us mature a lot, as a driver and as a human being.”
The driver appears before the media with a calm, smiling and reserved personality, in complete contrast to his aggressive style and great speed on race tracks.
He added: “I grew up in Italy through karting races, and I was greatly influenced by the Italian passion and feelings. "But over the years, I've been able to manage those feelings better when things are going great or when they're at their worst."
Leclerc revealed this summer that he was affected by the “negative narratives” surrounding his fluctuating levels during the season.
The Ferrari driver confirms: “The passion within Ferrari represents a tremendous force, and when things do not go as they should, we spare no effort or time to change the situation.”
Leclerc continues, in an interview with Agence France-Presse and two specialized media outlets, ESPN and Formula Passion: “But it can also be painful when things do not go well. Because people feel it very deeply.”
The driver regained his vitality after winning the British Grand Prix in early July, in a victory that demonstrated his car's ability to compete with the car of his famous colleague since 2025, the seven-time British world champion Lewis Hamilton.
The 41-year-old British driver, whose international fame goes far beyond Formula 1, said during the press conference on Thursday: “There is nothing better than being a Ferrari driver.” “What an honor and privilege it is to arrive in Italy to participate in this prestigious race with the best team in the world!”
Leclerc, in turn, feels very excited about the “tremendous enthusiasm” sweeping the Scuderia fans at the Monza and Milan circuits during the week before the start of the Italian Grand Prix.
“The atmosphere around the track is crazy,” says Leclerc. “People are just so excited.” “But this is not negative pressure at all, it is entirely positive.”
To keep “my passion as it is,” Leclerc has the support of his team boss, Frenchman Frederic Vasseur, who took over his position in 2023, but he has known him since they worked together at Sauber about ten years ago.
He continues: “Farid really brought this calmness and this coldness necessary to make the surrounding environment less affected by emotions.”
The Monte Carlo native confirms: “My love for Ferrari and this sport has been the same since day one.”
Leclerc is the son of Herve Leclerc, a Formula 3 driver who died in 2017. His father introduced him to the world of karting when he was four years old.
French driver Jules Bianchi was also one of his most prominent role models, before he died at the age of 25 in 2015, as a result of injuries he sustained as a result of an accident during the Japanese Formula 1 Grand Prix the previous year.
Ferrari is the most decorated team in the history of the championship, but it achieved its last title in the constructors' championship in 2008, while the last world title for drivers dates back to 2007, when Finnish Kimi Raikkonen won the championship.
Leclerc introduces himself first as a citizen of the Principality of Monaco, without denying his ties to Italy or France. He is the third driver from the Principality to participate in Formula 1 after Louis Chiron and Olivier Beretta.
Leclerc dreams of becoming the first driver from Monaco to win the Formula 1 World Championship.
