Marco Verratti, the rare bird continues to fly

When it comes to Marco Verratti, it's not necessary to retrace his entire Paris career in order to get an outline of the player. His rare ability to get out of tight situations, his commitment to impossible duels, his reading of the game in order to play such accurate passes... And his otherworldly technical skills, in order to find the invisible vulnerability, underline his artistic credentials, on display in the French capital ever since he crossed the Alps in 2012. 

One thing is certain, the Italian has all the ingredients necessary to steal the ball away from the boots of his opponents, delighting supporters at the Parc des Princes.

"My favourite player? For me, I play with the best of them all. I think it's Verratti. It's impossible to get the ball off him, he always finds a way out, no matter the situation he finds himself in," said Leandro Paredes in an interview with Fox Argentina during confinement.

It's difficult, though, at the end of the season to pick out one match, one display, so frequently did the Italian provide a feast for the eyes. But this season some of the performances of the "petit Hibou" (little owl) are notable for their symbolism. The home game against Real Madrid, for example, shone the spotlight on his midfield duo with Idrissa Gueye, as they helped see off the Spanish giants (3-0). Verratti's dominance of the Olympique de Marseille midfield in Ligue 1 (4-0), or to help crush Saint-Etienne's hopes in the Coupe de la Ligue (6-1), are just a couple of illustrations of his mastery of the midfield. 

The intense match against Bordeaux in Round 26 of Ligue 1(4-3), was also the chance for Verratti, to  post – as is his wont - several match records (the most number of touches (142), successful passes (99), and tackles (6) of any of the players involved at the Parc des Princes), but also to become the first player in the league in 50 years to reach the total of 100 home league games with only one home defeat against their name. You have to go back to 2012, the year he moved to the capital, for that solitary league defeat (81 wins, 18 draws and 1 defeat to Saint-Étienne, November 3 2012).

"Verratti is a phenomenon, as a person as well as a player. He is one of the best players I've played with. I love being on the field with him. He's always smiling he loves life, he laughs and makes the most of things. I adore him and we get on really well" explained Neymar Jr in an interview with France Football.

Another key fact from the season: the n°6 a broke through 200 matches in Ligue 1, but also 300 competitive in the Rouge & Bleu shirt, placing him sixth on the all-time appearances list for the club. All of that at only 27 years old. 

Finally, against Borussia Dortmund, he became the Parisian to have played most often in Europe (59 appearances) in the history of Paris Saint-Germain.

"Marco is extraordinary and he's a key player for us. He's one of the best midfielders in the world. He's very reliable and takes a lot of responsibility in the squad. He thinks about the happiness of others. It's a gift being able to coach Marco for me," said Thomas Tuchel in a press conference last October. 

A fine season

33 matches played in all competitions, an average of 97 ballons touches per match (and 99 in Ligue 1, the highest total in the division), 93% successful passes, 6 assists and more than 10 malicious grins: there's the statistical assessment of the player, whose season was above all marked by consistency. 

A master of getting his foot on the ball, Marco Verratti is once again top of the charts. He tried the most passes (1710) and succeeded with the most (1581) in Ligue 1 this season, and he was also successful with 956 passes in the opposition half in 2019/20, 112 more than any other player in the top division. An on the European level, only Virgil van Dijk (654) and Ilkay Gündogan (544) managed more passes than Marco Verratti in the Champions League this season (535).

"Marco Verratti is the player that has impressed me the most since I joined PSG. He's really good and it's incredibly good that we have him in our team. I'm proud to be able to play with him,"  a delighted Kylian Mbappé explained to Gazzetta dello Sport last January.

One thing is certain: the whole capital is waiting for just one thing, for the two players to be able to combine on the pitch soon along with the rest of the team. And there are major matches still to be played for Paris Saint-Germain, the finals of the Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue, and the quarter-final of the Champions League. 

Note too that by winning a 7th French league title (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2020), Marco Verratti, like his teammate Thiago Silva, joined the exclusive club of those with the most titles in Ligue 1 history, as nobody has done better in the history of French football...