Bravo: 'Burning desire to win together'

Daniel, you played in the club's last UCL semi-final appearance back in 1995. How was that experience?

"We had a strong squad, we weren't afraid of the Champions League, we were a tight unit. After a perfect group stage, we were able to eliminate Barcelona in the quarter-finals. Then we lost to AC Milan in the first leg semi-final, a match we deserved to win. And finally, we were eliminated in the second leg, where we didn't show up. I wonder, if it had been a match like today with this Final 8 format, what would have happened. I think we could have beaten AC Milan."

How do you prepare for a match like this?

"These are such important moments, you have to be 100% focused, you have to concentrate on training. You can feel it during the sessions, they are more serious, there is extreme concentration with a real desire to prepare as well as possible. Today, this team from Paris Saint-Germain is ready, you can feel that a strong squad has been created, that the team is better. And there are incredible individuals. We hope that these ingredients will make the difference. And this formula for a one-off, knockout match is made for Paris, a cup team, isn't it?"

What did you think of the performance against Atalanta?

"We've been waiting for this moment for a long time, for a Paris Saint-Germain team to go a long way in this competition. It was a difficult win against a great Atalanta team, and Paris went out and got it with a lot of character. Football brings that kind of joy because it allows you to experience such a turnaround and I was very happy. We were jumping for joy with my father! Winning like that, at the death, is a great moment. That win, the win in the return match against Dortmund, the moments that the players share off the pitch... It's all about bonding as a group. It's all about bonding. Now in this team, you can feel a burning desire to win together, you see a squad that's one and the same, and that makes all the difference. This team seems stronger than ever."

What do you expect from the match against RB Leipzig?

"As we saw in the quarter-finals, Leipzig is a team that runs a lot, where the players work together, they are not afraid to attack, press... It's a bit like Bayern, without the stars, but with almost the same efficiency. It's going to be a complicated match for Paris, even if the style of this team should suit Paris, who love the space with Neymar and Mbappé. We'll have to be up to the task, withstand the pressure, because they'll be a talented opponent. But it could be the ideal opponent for a great Paris."

And the club is also celebrating its 50th anniversary this week…

"For me, it's an enormous source of pride to be part of the history of Paris Saint-Germain. With Guérin, Fournier and the others, we've had some great seasons where we did great things because we gave our all for the club. We were professionals so yes, that's why we were here, but we felt really good in this club, we wanted to give the best of ourselves, to be at our best. I'm very proud to be part of the history of this great club and I wish with all my heart that it goes as far as possible in the Champions League."