Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has shown gratitude to their former superstar trio after the club’s Champions League win.

PSG thrashed Inter Milan 5-0 on Saturday to win the biggest prize in club football for the first time in their history.

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Qatari businessman Al-Khelaifi joined the French giants in 2011 and has overseen the signings of some of football’s greatest ever players.

From 2021 to 2023, PSG had a world-class attacking triad of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar that scored a combined 143 goals.

They were unable to win the Champions League together in Paris but Al-Khelaifi says they were still part of the club’s most recent success.

During an exclusive interview on talkSPORT, Jim White asked about the club’s transition from signing established players to young stars.

“I remember after the time that you had Neymar, and then you had Lionel Messi, you said to me, ‘We’re going in a different direction. The team will be young, they will be local players, they will be French.’

“We’ve seen [Desire] Doue, we’ve seen Senny Mayulu and that fantastic celebration on Saturday night. This is the direction you wanted to go in, isn’t it? Younger and more local in terms of players.”

“Yes,” said Al-Khelaifi. “Before I answer your question Jim, I think yes I told you this, and I’m so proud of our team.

“But also, I’d like to thank all the players honestly, the first players that we signed, Javier Pastore was in our project, our ex-captain Thiago Silva, Zlatan [Ibrahimovic], [Edinson] Cavani, Thiago Motta.

“All of them, honestly, [Angel] Di Maria, all those players… And, I will say something really important, even Neymar, Messi, Kylian, what they also did for the club, never going to forget.

“They were part of the success, because what’s really important to pass on the stage and to have this history, and arriving today…

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“Yes, we changed our strategy after all that we did, what we did wrong. I’m not sure that we did it all right but what I’m sure, it was really important for us to continue these stages.

“To come in this phase with young, talented players. Today Jim, we have stars. You saw yesterday the best player in the UEFA [Champions League] is [Ousmane] Dembele.

“The best young player in UEFA is Desire Doue. Seven of the starting XI in the [best Champions League] team [are], from Paris. What does that mean? It means we have fantastic star players.

“But the stars play for the team, and not the team playing for the stars, and this is the difference today.

“We have young, hungry players that want to die for the jersey, they want to kill themselves, they want to give everything for the club and for the team, and for the fans.

“I mean, you saw it [at] 5-0, you see Kvara [Khvicha Kvaratskhelia], how he was defending, how he ran, 5-0, Champions League final, 88th minute… I’m so proud, honestly, of my team.

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“And we have an amazing coach [Luis Enrique], this is for me the best coach in the world with the best sporting advisor [Luis Campos] in the world.”

PSG made their first Champions League final appearance in 2020 but lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich.

Two semi-final exits followed in the subsequent four seasons until they finally crossed the line in Munich on Saturday night.

Doue scored two goals and assisted another as Inter were swept aside in a thrilling PSG display.

They became just the second French team to win the tournament after Marseille in 1993.

The Champions League joins Ligue 1, Coupe de France and Trophee des Champions in their list of honours for the 2024/25 season.

PSG could win another trophy this summer at the Club World Cup.

They will then meet Europa League champions Tottenham in the Super Cup final on August 13.