Marquinhos: 'Make our fans happy'

Marqui, how do you feel after winning a fifth French league title?
"I'm very proud, because you have to put in a lot to be champions. There are a lot of people who think it's easy to win the league, but it's not true. We make trips, long days to pick up difficult points away from home. We spend the whole year working hard. And to be able to celebrate that with our fans is a great thing. This trophy was one of our main goals for the season. They were with us all year, they make the same trips as us, long journeys. The least we can do is celebrate it with them."

After the World Cup, you joined the squad in Asia. There had been a lot of changes - how was pre-season?
"It was totally normal, despite several major changes. There is always a short time for adaptation, but things went quickly with the new coach. We played well, especially in the league, and showed a good attitude. He needed a little time to put his philosophy in place, because it's new. We also needed some time to understand the coach. He was quickly able to understand the quality of his players, and very soon got to know us, so he was able to better understand each of us. That's when he saw qualities in me that no-one else had seen before. I have always had a very good relationship with him."

Yes, you had a new position this season. How did you approach that?
"When there was a gap in midfield, he was looking for solutions and he saw qualities in me that made me that solution. He talked to me a lot just before he put me in midfield. He explained what he wanted me to do. He knew that I'd need some time to adapt, especially at the start. He asked very simple things of me so that I understood how things work in midfield, so I could gain confidence and play well. It was difficult to understand what he wanted at the start, but you have to be flexible depending on the choices he makes. I played full-back at the start of my career, but not all that much. I felt comfortable at centre-back and was surprised by his choice. But he handled it well, he gave me the motivation i needed. The first few games I played in that position were not the best I've played for Paris Saint-Germain, and I was criticised a lot. But he gave me the necessary confidence, and I was able to string together some good performances."

What's your feeling about last season, especially in the league?
"We won fewer trophies than in past seasons, but in terms of playing philosophy and strategy - something the club had been looking for for a long time - there are a lot of positive things. Now is when the coach has to work a lot and see what he wants to do next season in terms of the players and the team set-up. This year was a year when he came to understand Paris Saint-Germain, his players and the French league. Now, he has to work to ensure next season is better than the last. We know that the club's great objective is to win the Champions League, but you can't just focus on that. There are a lot of trophies to be won throughout the season. We have some good things to do, and we will try to make our fans happy. But we know that in football you have to win trophies and keep winning games. In the end, it's results that count."