Portuguese midfielder Vitinha spoke to the media ahead of the Champions League match between Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City on Wednesday night.
The former Porto man addressed a number of subjects, including his adaptation into PSG’s star-studded dressing room, as well as the progress of the current side under Luis Enrique.
When Vitinha moved to the French capital in 2022, he found a locker room with three of world football’s true superstars: Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Neymar. All three have since moved on, but Vitinha says he will never enjoy assimilating into the presence of such players.
“It’s like a dream,” he told British newspaper The Times. “For a long time I thought it wouldn’t be real.
“It wasn’t easy, not even in the games, with the obligations I had. But this was for the rest of my career because I played with the best. This is all I will tell my children and grandchildren one day.
All three have now departed, leaving Vitinha as one of the more senior figures despite him being only 24 himself. “I prefer this type of project,” he says. “The new way they look at building the team, with a long-term vision, is the best way.”
The last of the iconic trio to leave Mbappé, who signed for Real Madrid in the most talked-about move of the summer. Vitinha reflects on the substitution in the post-Mbappé era and believes that Luis Enrique’s team is a larger group, in a squad that also includes Seleção internationals João Neves, Nuno Mendes and Gonçalo Ramos.
“It’s a different season,” Vitinha said in the interview. “We have no problem talking about that. Kylian is one of the best, if not the best. We knew it was going to be difficult. You can’t replace him directly, but you can replace him with the team. That’s what we did, but it takes time. I think collectively we are better and we have already shown that. Sometimes the goals don’t come, but we have a lot of good forwards.”
Luis Enrique is in his second season at the Parque de los Príncipes and praises midfielder Vitinha. The Portuguese’s progress under Luis Enrique has been spectacular, leading to a Ballon d’Or nomination and growing prestige as one of Europe’s most productive midfielders. .
The respect is mutual: “He (Luis Enrique) is very intense, in fact I think he couldn’t have found a better coach. It manages to highlight my most productive features in the game. The most productive component is that it is very direct. He will never lie to you. He says what he has to say. You can’t get the wrong impression. This is very smart for a player. You already know what the coach thinks of you. In fact I like it. Sometimes trainers are not so direct when it comes to protecting themselves.
The new format of the Champions League has led to some surprising results for the biggest clubs, with holders Real Madrid in 20th place, Manchester City in 22nd and PSG currently one place outside the qualification spots in 25th. Therefore, Wednesday’s match against City carries great significance for the French side.
“We are aware of the importance of this game in terms of qualification,” Vitinha admitted. “You can imagine how hungry we are to show everyone that we are a strong team and that we can perform in these types of games.”
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