“It was their decision, not mine” - Achraf Hakimi responds to Real Madrid selling him after PSG win 4-0 against Los Blancos

PSG defender Achraf Hakimi reacted to Real Madrid selling him in 2019 after the Parisians beat Hakimi's former club 4-0 on Wednesday to reach the FIFA Club World Cup final.

After a two-year loan stint at Borussia Dortmund, Hakimi was shipped off permanently by Los Blancos to Inter Milan in the summer of 2020. A year later, he moved from the Nerazzurri to the Parc des Princes and has been a key player since then.

Meanwhile, Luis Enrique's men continued their fine form with a clinical dismantling of Madrid to reach their first Club World Cup final, where Chelsea await on Sunday. A Fabian Ruiz brace on either side of an Ousmane Dembele strike put the Parisians on the ascendancy, and they never looked back.

While Hakimi didn't score against his former employers, he responded to why he was let go by the Spanish giants five years ago (as per Madrid Xtra):

“How did Real Madrid let me leave? It was their decision. Not mine.”

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Having come up through the ranks at the Spanish giants, Hakimi made just 17 appearances across competitions, contributing two goals and an assist, since his first-team debut in 2016-17.

With his current side, the Moroccan has made 174 appearances in five seasons across competitions, registering 25 goals and 35 assists.

Season recap for PSG and Real Madrid

PSG and Real Madrid have had contrasting seasons. While the Parisians helped themselves to a maiden quadruple, including their first UEFA Champions League title, Los Blancos ended their campaign without any major silverware.

After winning the UEFA Super Cup at the start of the season, Madrid went 0-4 against arch-rivals Barcelona, who beat them in the Supercopa Espana and Copa del Rey finals. Barca also pipped their rivals to the La Liga title, while Madrid's Champions League title defence ended against Arsenal in the quarter-finals.

Meanwhile, Luis Enrique's Parisians are having a dream end to their extended season. Following a dominating 5-0 win over Inter Milan to win their first Champions League title, the Ligue 1 giants are now within one win of ending the season on a high.

About the author

Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 20 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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Edited by Bhargav