Who could have believed that this pimply, ringed, shy teenager with a frail physique would become a Parisian legend with a titanic track record eleven years later? That this kid from Sao Paulo would inscribe his name in golden letters in the history of the French Championship and end up rising to the rank of monument?
The little Marqui grew up, a true king of France who managed to establish his domination over his kingdom for more than a decade. Ligue 1 is its territory, an asset that it does not share, or almost, and over which it has total control.
29 titles with PSG!
With this 9th French championship title, the PSG captain has strengthened his reputation as a serial winner. A mythical, stunning, insane figure, which installed him at just 29 years old on the throne alongside Marco Verratti.
The Italian had reached this mark last season, his former Brazilian partner in the capital did not delay on the way to join him at the top of the ranking of the most successful players in the history of the French Championship, after An almost impeccable exercise from the Luis Enrique men.
On a more personal level, this record comes during a rather ordinary season for number 5 – if we except his performance in Barcelona – who was challenged as rarely in his position, where strong competition (Lucas Hernandez, Danilo , Beraldo, Skriniar) was waiting for him. Having started only 16 times in Ligue 1, the Brazilian was also faced with several physical problems which somewhat hampered his overall performance and output.
VIDEO. Ronaldinho, Thiago Silva, Rai, his mother… Marquinhos reveals himself like never before in the face of questions from those close to him
But this in no way alters the exceptional character of this new coronation acquired with Paris. To fully understand the immensity of Marquinhos’ feat, a quick look in the rearview mirror and at the identity of the footballers he is ahead of is necessary.
With their seven titles, the historic Saint-Etienne Jean-Michel Larqué and Hervé Revelli, the Lyon trio Grégory Coupet-Juninho-Sidney Govou, as well as Thiago Silva, idol and model of “Marqui” are definitively relegated to the background and left behind for good by the PSG captain. A nice line-up to which Kylian Mbappé has just been added (six titles with Paris, one with Monaco).
Regularity, versatility, captain
This historic performance in any case testifies to the regularity and constancy of Marquinhos throughout these eleven successful years, even if we note two failures on the national scene, during the 2016-2017 season (title of AS Monaco) and in 2020-2021 (Losc title).
Arriving in 2013 in the role of understudy to Thiago Silva and Alex, the Brazilian international was quickly given responsibility under the orders of Laurent Blanc (17 starts) who saw in him his calm and rigor. It is then his versatility which will be saluted when the time comes to lend a hand to the right-back position, the axis being reserved for the pair David Luiz-Thiago Silva, then for the midfield a few years later under the orders of Thomas Tuchel.
His ability to put himself at the service of the collective clearly demonstrates the state of mind of this boy turned towards others, who has become more mature, more leader and deeply human within a collective made up of strong egos.
Captain after the departure of Thiago Silva in the summer of 2020, Marquinhos is the symbol of longevity and loyalty as exceptional as they are rare in an era where the notion of belonging no longer exists. This ninth title of champion of France and his recent record for the number of matches played in the red and blue jersey come in a certain way to reward his loyalty to his club.
Soon a new record?
“Eleven years here is a lifetime. I have always tried to give everything for this club every time I put this logo on my pectorals (it shows the PSG logo), he explained in an interview with Le Parisien on April 19. I was raised this way by my mother. I have always given my all to this club and I am very proud of everything I have achieved to date. Frankly, I don’t see myself ending my career anywhere else. I think my name is etched in the history of the club, even if one day I had to leave. I think my story in Paris will always be adored by the supporters, by the president. »
The 29th trophy of Parisian career further establishes Marquinhos in the club’s Pantheon, he who is only one unit away from Marco Verratti’s title record. With a Coupe de France and a Champions League to be won in the coming weeks, the Brazilian captain has a golden opportunity: to write the most exciting chapter in his already well-stocked red and blue book…
