Joane Gadou explains his choice to leave PSG for RB Salzburg | OneFootball

Life in Austria appears to be suiting defender Joane Gadou (17) just fine. Recruited by the Paris Saint-Germain academy in 2020, the centre-back who helped the French U-17 side reach the UEFA European Under-17 Championships in 2023 is opening up about why he chose to leave the comforts of the French capital.

Speaking to L’Équipe, Gadou says that joining Red Bull Salzburg was “the best project for [him],” adding that the training in Austria is very intense and similar to England.

In September, the 17-time Austrian Bundesliga champions added Gadou to their squad on a three-year contract worth a reported €10m.

Born in Aubervilliers, Gadou had reportedly declined to sign a professional contract with Les Parisiens in August before moving to Austria.

He says he’s adapted well to his new surroundings and a team which plays a quicker transitional game with relentless high pressing.

According to Gadou, the transition to his new club has allowed him to mature a lot more as a footballer from a tactical perspective, adding that he’s confident his time in Austria will allow him to develop into a well-rounded defender.

The right-footed centre-back, who helped PSG claim the U19 Championnat National in 2023-24, doesn’t believe there was ever a real possibility that the reigning Ligue 1 champions would have loaned him despite numerous reports.

Gadou has featured in his side’s last three domestic fixtures, figuring in the starting 11 on two of those occasions for Pep Lijnders’s men, but has never appeared in a UEFA Champions League fixture.

On Tuesday, Gadou’s team will face PSG in the Champions League, with the Austrians a point below them in the table and both sides currently outside the top 24 and a place in the knockout phase.

Salzburg lost all of their Champions League home fixtures in this phase of the 2024-25 competition, including a 4-0 defeat versus Stade Brestois 29 in October.

Tuesday will only be the second time they host Les Parisiens in a European tournament, with Die Rotten Bullen claiming a 2-0 triumph against them in a 2011 UEFA Europa League clash.

GFFN | Joel Lefevre