Childhood friends, Rafinha and Mauro Icardi met, on behalf of an interview for Téléfoot, around a table to discuss their respective beginnings at PSG, their common past and their future ambitions, starting with the meeting in come against RB Leipzig.
Landed at PSG in the very last hours of the summer transfer window, Rafinha found a great friend in the person of Mauro Icardi in the Parisian locker room. Indeed, the two men had long rubbed shoulders at FC Barcelona while they spent a large part of their training there but also shared a moment together in Italy, at Inter Milan. The two men therefore returned to their reunion as part of an interview for the weekly Téléfoot program.
The Brazilian first returns to the welcome that Mauro Icardi gave him: “He helped me a lot. It is true that I was very lucky, it is a huge help and I must admit that it motivated me to come. ” What the Argentine responds to: “In Paris, I received it the same way I did at Inter. I’ve been here for a year and he knows full well that if he needs anything he can ask me. “
Then the two men start talking about the Parisian locker room: “This locker room surprised me a lot. The atmosphere is extraordinary. It’s a very, very united group with young players but also experienced guys from all over the world ” describes Rafinha. Same story for Mauro Icardi who describes a unique wardrobe: “I’ve been in football for many years now, but this locker room that we have here, this group that was formed last season, both united and strong, I had never seen that anywhere else . “
Arriving in Paris, Rafinha also reunited with a great friend he had in Barcelona with Neymar. And according to him, the Auriverde star has changed a lot and matured since his time in Catalonia: “I found a much more mature player than at the time of Barca. It’s world class. It is one of the best in the world. It is a privilege to play with him and as a person he is an extraordinary person. “
Author of a much duller second part of the season after a sumptuous debut, Mauro Icardi also returned to his association with Neymar and Kylian Mbappé, two players they consider world-class: “For me, playing with forwards of this level is an honor. Kylian and Neymar are undoubtedly among the 3 or 4 best players in the world. They show it in every game, whenever they have the chance. And being able to share the locker room, the playground for players of this class, is incredible. All this also allows, when you come from another team where you have learned a lot, to continue learning in Paris. “
Loaned to Celta Vigo last year, Rafinha admitted watching PSG matches to take advantage of these three players together: “The three are tops. These three are world class. Last year I saw their matches, not to analyze them footballistically but just to take advantage of them. Today, I may be less objective but it is three great, three very great players who together hurt very, very badly. “
While he was able to take advantage of the many injuries to make his debut in the Parisian tunic, Rafinha also returned to the competition at PSG: “It’s like that in the best teams in the world, we meet very great players and there is strong competition. “
A competition that Mauro Icardi also knows well when he shared the attack with Edinson Cavani last year, the Uruguayan since left for Manchester United. This year, it was Moise Kean who came to strengthen the Parisian attack and who took advantage of the Argentinian’s injuries to make his way: “Competition? That’s why the coach has problems choosing who should play, because everyone wants to start and gives their best to arrive at the end of the week in the best conditions. In reality, that’s what everyone at the club is looking for, to create a competitive team to win our first Champions League. We were close to winning it last year so hopefully it will be for this year or the next. This is what we all think about, this is what we all expect. The players, the staff, the stewards, all the people who work for the club, from the president to the last employee arrived, that is the objective. “
He continues looking at Rafinha: “In fact, last year you were the player we needed to win it (laughs). He is with us now and I hope this year will be a good one with him. ”
The two players then referred to the upcoming meeting against Leipzig in a match that already looks like a “final” as Thomas Tuchel does not hesitate to say. And for Rafinha, there is only one possible outcome after the final whistle, victory: “We have an extremely important match, a key meeting against Leipzig, a match that we will play thoroughly. There is only one way out of this encounter, and that’s by winning. “
Icardi then bounces back on the words of his teammate: “Of course, we have to win to reverse the trend, the negative results we had in the Champions League. If we are focused and show our best face, we will be on the next round for sure. “
Finally, the interview ends in a joking tone as the two players each ask a question. Mauro Icardi then asks Rafinha how many assists will he deliver this season, to which the Brazilian responds: ” A. I’ll make you one, it’s not bad already (laughs). No, I promise I will try but please mark. ” The former FC Barcelona midfielder then replied by asking him when he invited him to the restaurant while the Argentinian had promised him a dinner for 12 years: “The next match against Leipzig, if we win. I invite you to dinner. ” The two lovebirds now know what they have to do.
