A few minutes after Thomas Tuchel, Marquinhos, the captain of PSG, addressed in a press conference the burning news of his club. Namely the group match against Leipzig scheduled for Tuesday evening (9 p.m.) at the Parc des Princes and important for the future of Paris in the Champions League this season. With the suspension of Presnel Kimpembe, he will be aligned in central defense and not in midfield, as his coach has indicated.
Thomas Tuchel spoke of the final for this meeting. As a captain, do you feel an additional responsibility?
MARQUINHOS. Everyone knows the situation and knows it’s a decisive game for us. I try to motivate guys like I always have. It’s my way of being, of working, of pushing everyone. We are at home, we have a beautiful stadium, a beautiful field. We prepared well. We have all the ingredients to win these three points which are so important to us.
You will play in central defense …
I knew about it. he (Editor’s note: coach Thomas Tuchel) warned me. These are his choices and we are always there to respect them. I will try to do the maximum, defend well and lead my team forward so that we can be aggressive.
How much does the lack of athletic preparation for the offseason that you often talk about weigh on you?
We know that good preparation is essential. We didn’t get that. You don’t always have to say that you lost because of that. We need to think more positively. Think about what can be improved. It is true that we would prefer to have a quieter start to the season, this is not the case. But we should not always stay regretting what happened. We focus on tomorrow’s game (mardi). You have to be ready. It is today that we can change something, not by looking behind.
Defeats in Leipzig (2-1), Monaco (3-2)… How do you explain that the team is losing track after having led to the score?
It’s really hard to explain. Afterwards, if we look at the negative things, we can find them. But if we look for positive things, we can find some too. Against Leipzig, it will not be like in Monaco or on the way there. You will have to stay focused from start to finish. We know that in football the smallest detail counts and can change everything. You have to be aggressive and show personality on the pitch.
Tuchel hopes that the whole team will seek to help Neymar, who is not yet 100% physically …
Ney is a very important player for us. A leader. In the field, he takes his responsibilities and works for the team. We have hardworking players who will really guide him in the best way to get the ball back. He makes a lot of effort. He’s one of the guys who sacrifice himself the most for the team and I think the team will sacrifice himself for him.
Do you feel the same desire in the group as at the end of last season, haven’t you lost the flame?
As soon as a season starts, we know our goals. Already, I do not know why we would no longer have the flame and the desire to go far in the Champions League since we did not win it. We are hungry. Even in training, we want to win. We know that it is not easy and that it is not in a snap of the fingers that you arrive in the final of the Champions League. It is a path with obstacles. We try to overcome them. As soon as you lose, it is not because you are not hungry, nor the passion to go to the end. We are ambitious men. If things go wrong, it’s not because we don’t want to. The goals for this season are the same as in previous years. The focus is still there. It doesn’t matter how the season started.
