Tuesday 27 December 2016 08:59, UK
PSG's Sylvain Armand admits he could leave the club at the end of the season after falling out of favour under coach Carlo Ancelotti.
Paris St Germain defender Sylvain Armand admits he could leave the club at the end of the season after falling out of favour under coach Carlo Ancelotti.
The 31-year-old has notched up 349 outings for the Ligue 1 giants over an eight year spell to sit second in their record appearance table.
Armand was a regular performer for the club before this season, but the influx of new players brought in by its new Qatari owners has seen him struggle for first-team action under Ancelotti.
The defender, who is contracted in Paris until 2013, admits the current campaign could be his last at the Parc des Princes.
"It has been a difficult season to me. During 14 seasons as a professional, I have always played regularly. It is not the case anymore," he told L'Equipe.
"It was not easy to accept at first. The club hired big players with a lot of experience, and competition has become stronger. I didn't except such a situation.
"I could feel it 2 years ago, because I have been less outstanding. But last term I had great fun as central defender with Mamadou Sakho. I believed I would start again with the same status.
"At the right moment I will have a talk with (director of football) Leonardo. I love that club so much. Leaving will be very difficult, above all if we fail to win the national title.
"But I am a 31-year-old and I can hardly experience another season as difficult."
He added of the possibility of playing overseas: "Sometimes I have been asked if I would like to try an adventure abroad. I just reply: 'Playing at Paris is already playing abroad!'
"Paris is becoming a big club, with methods of a technical staff from Italy or England. I am happy to experience that moment in the club, even if it should stop in 2 months."
Despite getting less game time since the arrival of PSG's new owners, Armand insists no player feels shunned under Ancelotti.
"We all knew things would change for us with the arrival of the Qataris. We are all disappointed to not play more often," he said.
"But no one is cheating. The coach is behaving exactly the same with the older players as the new ones. No player feels put aside."
