Long after the crowded Paris dressing room had emptied, Benjamin Stambouli still remembers an unexpected gesture from one of its quietest stars. Javier Pastore, the elegant Argentine playmaker, stepped in when the new Paris Saint-Germain midfielder was struggling to find a home in the capital.
Benjamin Stambouli recalls Javier Pastore’s Paris help
Stambouli joined PSG in the summer of 2015, arriving from Tottenham for €8.6 million. The Montpellier academy product entered a squad filled with major names, including Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva, Edinson Cavani, Thiago Motta, Ezequiel Lavezzi and David Luiz.
Yet it was Pastore who made a personal impression away from the pitch. Stambouli, born in Marseille, explained that he had been having difficulty finding an apartment with three bedrooms in Paris when the Argentine asked him about his search in the dressing room.
After Stambouli outlined what he needed, Pastore took the matter into his own hands. Later that day, he called his teammate to say he had visited a suitable apartment. Stambouli recalled his surprise at the intervention, describing Pastore as “crazy” for going so far out of his way, but also exceptionally kind.
He eventually went to view the property but decided not to take it. The former midfielder nevertheless said the episode revealed a side of high-profile players that supporters do not always see: a simplicity and generosity behind their public image.
Stambouli’s PSG stay lasted only one season. Heavy competition in midfield limited his route into the side, and he left in the following summer. He rebuilt his career in the Bundesliga with Schalke 04, later played in Turkey, then returned to Ligue 1 with Reims before ending his playing career at Metz following the expiry of his contract.
SEO title: Benjamin Stambouli reveals Javier Pastore helped him find a Paris home
SEO description: Retired former PSG midfielder Benjamin Stambouli recalls Javier Pastore’s unexpected help during his difficult search for an apartment in Paris in 2015.
