On the ground he does not go unnoticed. Present in defense, on the restart or even – and increasingly – on the finish with already 6 goals and 3 assists in all competitions in 12 matches this season, the Portuguese João Neves has become essential to PSG.
But if he shines on the pitch, the Parisian elf doesn’t like to attract the light on him. Before traveling to face the Basques of Athletic Bilbao this Wednesday evening during the 6th day of the Champions League (9 p.m.), Neves spoke in an interview on the UEFA website. If he talks about the ambitions of the capital club and the memories of the victory in the Champions League final (“the season was over, we finished it in the best way possible, no one could blame us for anything”), he also talks about his private life.
Star of the football fields, he prefers to remain incognito in everyday life, when he walks with his partner, actress Madalena Aragao. Not forbidding any outing among the public like at the funfair in the Tuileries gardens a few days ago. And he has a trick to achieve it.
“Maybe putting on a hat is enough”
“I go to cafes, all that, and I try to go under the radar as much as possible, (like) an ordinary person,” assures the 21-year-old. I know two or three people will recognize me and ask for a photo, but I think the others will leave me alone. I don’t have, for example, the Vitinha mustache… or something about the way I move outside that makes people stare at me and [me] instantly recognized. So maybe putting on a hat that I normally wear and enjoy wearing is enough. »
He also takes the opportunity to pay tribute to his parents, to his father, who was a police officer and was his coach, who gave him a good education. “Everything always had to be in order (when he was young), and I kept that in my adult life, he says. I don’t think I would be where I am today without this strict upbringing. I wouldn’t have the perseverance and resilience that I have”
An education which could also explain where his impeccable look on the pitch comes from. “Playing with my jersey (tucked into the shorts) and my socks below the knee was a Benfica tradition that I followed to this day, he continues. Today, as I often tell my friends, I’m even afraid not to do it because, if something bad happens, I’ll use it as an excuse! So, I can’t bring myself to change. » PSG are not going to complain…
