Marquinhos and Jean-Marc Pilorget: "435 matches, a great source of pride"
The two most capped players in the history of Paris Saint-Germain (435 appearances apiece) talk about their respective histories at the club. It was a historic occasion in every respect, and one that was full of emotion.
It was in the upper section of the Parc des Princes, with an open view of the pitch, that the two joint holders of the record for the number of matches played for the capital club met for a lengthy interview.
The two men began by talking about such a high number of matches, a rare record in modern football, as Jean-Marc Pilorget attests: "Just a few years ago, I didn't think any player was capable of achieving this feat. Because it's a real achievement to play so many matches for the same club."
Paris Saint-Germain's current captain Marquinhos agrees, underlining the love both men have for the club: "You don't necessarily think about it, I never thought I could beat that record. But as the games go by, we reach that number. It's a great source of pride, because like Jean-Marc, we've played for this club that we love so much. Paris is a club that has allowed me to grow, to play great matches and to discover Europe. That's another reason why I wanted to stay for so long."
Memories are a dime a dozen, and it's with great emotion that Marqui and Jean-Marc Pilorget recount their most memorable moments, especially their respective debuts: "There were several moments that really stood out for me," begins Pilorget. "First, my first match. That's something I'll never forget. Even if we didn't win, it was at the Parc des Princes. It's a memory I can't forget, even though I'm old and I lose my memory a bit sometimes. And then there was the first title. The club's first title in the French Cup final against AS Saint-Etienne. It was a crazy match that went to penalties and I scored the last penalty. So I brought the first major trophy to PSG."
The same goes for Marqui, who remembers his debut: "It was my first match too. It's always a special moment, especially as I was so young. Walking out on the pitch for the first time was crazy. And my first Champions League match too. Those are moments of enormous pride."
It's impossible for these two great champions not to talk about their favourite position. And being a central defender is a world apart, as Jean-Marc Pilorget points out: "There's the desire to win, of course, but you have to have the mindset of a leader, because we see the whole pitch, we have to be able to refocus the team and get messages across. Central defenders are intelligent players."
"That's true," agrees Marquinhos. "You have to think and analyse a lot. You can give advice, talk to the players at half-time. It's not just about making good tackles, you have to be able to analyse the game."
Watch the full interview with Marquinhos and Jean-Marc Pilorget: