300 for Verratti!
Marco Verratti wrote his name a little more into the history books when he played his 300th match for Paris Saint-Germain against AS Monaco at the Parc des Princes on Sunday.
On Sunday 12 January, Marco Verratti was already playing in his 22nd game of the season, the chance for him to deliver another superb assist for Neymar Jr.'s opening goal. Since joining the capital club, Marco Verratti has become an indispensable player in Rouge et Bleu.
For the Italy international, the crazy match in the Parc des Princes also marked his entry into the exclusive club of those who have played 300 matches for Paris Saint-Germain. Since the club's creation in 1970, only seven players can boast of having played more than the Italian in Paris, with Thiago Silva (303 official matches to date) having joined the club just a month earlier.
More than 7 years after crossing the Alps and making his home in the French capital, the one affectionately know as The Little Owl has grown into one of the best midfielders in the world. The little Italian boy with the big blue eyes, who was picked by Leonardo from his native Pescara and arrived from the Italian second division in the summer of 2012, landed in the shadow of a Swedish giant, Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Since then, the midfielder has risen through the ranks. From a first-team debutant with the Squadra Azzurra to his two children born in France, Marco Verratti has written his history in Paris, managing to conquer not only Italy, but also the affection of an entire capital. "Italian and Parisian, the talent of a magician" has already chanted the Parc des Princes, in honour of the six-time champion with the Rouge et Bleu crest embroidered on his heart.
In fact, only two players have recorded more victories than him in Paris (143) - Thiago Silva (151) and Jean-Marc Pilorget (166) - proof - if any were needed - of his influence in Parisian success. All of this, having started 85% of the matches he played with Paris.
And Verratti makes Paris shine beyond the French borders too. Verratti is the record holder for the number of Champions League matches played by a Parisian (57) and remains one of the club's leading ambassadors on the continent. From his number 24 that he wore for his first steps in Paris to the number 6 who saw his talent blossom, from his vicious turns to his poetical remonstrations on the pitch, from his outspoken laughter to his unexpected header against Barcelona, Marco Verratti has written some beautiful pages in the Paris Saint-Germain family album.
And there's no shortage of incredible stats either: he is the player who has had the most possessions (18,613), made (15944) and completed (14485) the most passes in Ligue 1 since his arrival in July 2012.
With his contract extended last October until 2024, the Italian will make the pleasure last. The ambassador of the Boot, who has already put his studs on 300 times in the City of Light, told us how happy he is after Sunday evening's match: "In today's football, it is difficult to play 300 matches with the same team. I'm happy to do that in Paris. It's my team! Every year I'm gaining more experience, and more happiness to play for a team like Paris Saint-Germain. It's a privilege to be part of its history for so many years."
