Lucas Paqueta and Leonardo may find themselves on different sides of a Ligue 1 Uber Eats title race today, but no so long ago the Olympique Lyonnais midfielder and Paris Saint-Germain sporting director shared a strong bond at AC Milan.
Lyon could leapfrog Paris into second if they beat Olympique de Marseille on Sunday night - and even pull to the top of the table outright if they can better LOSC's result against RC Strasbourg Alsace.
With four goals and an assist, midfielder Paqueta has been a key part of OL's success this season after arriving from Milan last summer. Leonardo beat Paqueta to French football by a year, returning for a second spell at PSG after a brief sojourn in Italy, and the younger of the two Brazilians remembers his compatriot fondly.
"Leonardo helped me a lot, he was there for me," Paqueta explained to l'Equipe. "For half a season with him, it went well for me. You could say he was my mentor, yes. But then he left for Paris. At that time, I felt a bit lonely, not yet perfectly suited to the culture, to the club."
Watch: Paqueta helped Lyon to a 1-0 win over PSG in December
Paqueta played 24 games, 12 of them starts, as Milan came sixth in Serie A last season. It was a disappointing finish for the 18-time Italian champions, and Paqueta struggled to rekindle the form that previously saw him win the Campeonato Carioca with Flamengo, picking up three individual honours on the way.
"You know, in Milan, I put a lot of pressure on myself. Too much, even," he explained. "So when I arrived here, in Lyon, I told myself that I wouldn't do that. That I'll quite simply give the best of myself.
"Although my experience in Milan wasn't what some expected, it served me very well, because I'm a better player today. I'm a different Paqueta, a stronger Paqueta, a Paqueta who has found the essence of what he was at Flamengo."
