From PSG’s stars to Portugal’s cellar: Layvin Kurzawa joins Boavista

Layvin Kurzawa, once a mainstay at Paris Saint-Germain during the club's Qatari-backed rise to footballing dominance, has taken an unexpected turn in his career. After eight years with PSG, where he shared the pitch with icons like Zlatan Ibrahimović, Edinson Cavani, Neymar, Kylian Mbappé, and Lionel Messi, the 32-year-old has signed with Boavista, currently the worst-performing team in Portugal's Primeira Liga.

Kurzawa, whose contract with PSG expired in June 2023, had been without a club for the past seven months. Despite interest from clubs like Fulham and Leganés during the winter transfer window, the Frenchman opted to sign with Boavista. However, due to the Portuguese side's ongoing registration ban—a result of their financial difficulties—Kurzawa won’t be able to play until the ban is lifted.

Boavista, the last club outside Portugal’s “Big Three” (Porto, Benfica, Sporting) to win the league title in the 2000/01 season, currently sits at the bottom of the Primeira Liga table with just 12 points from 20 matches. The club’s off-field struggles didn’t deter Kurzawa, who signed a deal that will run until the end of the season.

Born in Fréjus, France, to a Guadeloupean father and a Polish mother, Kurzawa began his professional career at Monaco, where he played until 2015 before securing a €23 million move to PSG. During his time in Paris, he won five Ligue 1 titles, four French Cups, four League Cups, and five French Super Cups.

Now, after rubbing shoulders with some of football’s biggest stars, Kurzawa faces a new challenge—helping Boavista fight their way out of relegation and financial instability.