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Javier Pastore: I'll stay till Paris Saint-Germain win Champions League

Javier Pastore has told L'Equipe he hopes to keep his promise to Paris Saint-Germain not to leave the club until they have won the Champions League.

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After a roller coaster three seasons at the Parc des Princes, in which there have been more dips than peaks, Pastore is currently playing some of the best football of his career.

During the tougher times at the Parc des Princes, the 25-year-old had been linked with a move back to Serie A.

However, the Argentina international is determined to at least see out the two remaining years of his contract, and hopes not to leave before bringing the Champions League trophy to the French capital to keep a promise he made to PSG president Nasser Al Khelaifi.

He said: "I've always been fortunate that other clubs want to buy me, but I told Nasser the day I signed my PSG contract: 'I will stay here until we win the Champions League.' I gave my word, and I intend to keep it. The way football is means I could be forced to leave before that happens, but it's not my main idea."

After a promising first season in which he struck 13 goals in 33 league games, Pastore has found the net just five times in 68 Ligue 1 outings since. He has, however, already contributed two assists in five encouraging displays in the 2014-15 campaign.

Used in a slightly more withdrawn midfield role than the one in which he shone at Palermo and had persuaded PSG to pay 42 million euros for him in 2011, Pastore's form is keeping France international Blaise Matuidi -- first-choice all last season -- on the bench.

"I did the whole of preseason, and it's normal that the coach put his faith in the players who were there at the start of training," said Pastore, who -- unlike Matuidi -- did not feature at the World Cup.

"It's the first time I've done the whole of the physical preparation for a season. With the fitness coaches, we put in place an individual training programme that I really like and which has given me a lot. Also, I've changed a lot of things mentally.

"This year, I came back with the idea of playing a lot more, of training hard every day to earn my place in the side."

The midfielder, who admitted he could not play in his preferred No. 10 role due to the position of Zlatan Ibrahimovic in Laurent Blanc's 4-3-3 formation, also acknowledged the change in philosophy between former coach Carlo Ancelotti and Blanc had helped his game.

"With Laurent Blanc, the style is more technical," he said. "He wants us to keep the ball, play higher up the pitch. It's different. We had very good results with Ancelotti, but I'm happier with Blanc because, without criticising the others, that's what football is for me.

"Our percentage of possession is always more than that of our opponents, we create more chances. It's also the style of play that makes me happy to stay in Paris."