PSG Missed Out on This Star Goalkeeper Because of a Piece of Meat

Paris Saint-Germain came remarkably close to completing an unexpected signing before the arrival of QSI. In an interview with L’Équipe, Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa revealed that he was on the verge of joining the French club in 2011.

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Things could have turned out very differently for PSG. The goalkeeper position has often been a complicated issue in Paris, and that was already the case in 2011. The club initially brought in Nicolas Douchez, but it was ultimately Salvatore Sirigu, originally considered the backup option, who became the starting goalkeeper that season.

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How a Food Contamination Changed Everything

The story could have taken another path because PSG wanted Ochoa. Now 40 years old and preparing to play in a record sixth World Cup with Mexico, the veteran goalkeeper might have followed a completely different career trajectory had he moved to Paris fifteen years ago.

According to Ochoa, an agreement had already been reached with PSG before the Qatari takeover. However, an extraordinary incident derailed the move. “We had reached an agreement before the Qataris arrived. But then there was the clenbuterol issue. I ate meat, just like three of my teammates. The substance stayed in our bodies for three or four days, we tested positive during the Gold Cup, were suspended, and then cleared,” the Mexican international explained.

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The food contamination, initially treated as a possible doping case, stalled his career for nearly two and a half months and ultimately ruined his chances of joining PSG. Ochoa eventually moved to AC Ajaccio, where he spent three impressive seasons in Ligue 1. Looking back, it remains one of the most surprising missed opportunities in PSG’s recent history, as the club may have signed one of Mexico’s most iconic goalkeepers long before the era of Qatari investment and global superstars.

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