Marquinhos: "The Parc is an extra strength for us"
Ahead of the first Champions League match of the season against Juventus, the Paris Saint-Germain defender spoke to PSGTV about the return of the prestigious European competition.
Marqui, it's the return of the Champions League...
"It's the Champions League, it's always exciting. It's a competition that is very important to play. The whole world watched the draw. It's good to find out our opponents to start thinking about the matches. It's also an opportunity to discover new opponents. They are historic opponents who have already won this trophy."
First opponent: Juventus. What are your thoughts on this team?
"They are always a very difficult team to play against. Italian teams work a lot on tactics and physicality. They are always ready to fight. They always put their opponents in trouble."
With 73 matches played in the Champions League, you are the most capped Paris Saint-Germain player in this competition...
"Every match has its story. Some matches are more difficult than others. With experience, you know the feeling better. We know in advance the atmosphere and the tensions that can appear in a match. There is no magic formula. Football is magic because you never know what will happen, there are always surprises and you have to be ready to always take the positive out of it. It's an important competition for us, for all the fans, for the whole world. It is different. All the great teams play in it, that's what makes it so important."
There is an "all for one, one for all" mentality on the pitch and also between the pitch and the stands. In the Champions League, the role of the fans is even more important...
"Yes, everyone feels it, including the opponents. We see the strength of our supporters, of our stadium. It's an extra strength for us. It helps us to boost our motivation and our desire. It's very important to have the fans with us at the Parc."
The supporters, the players, the club, the staff, it's all one big family...
"It's the best way to achieve our goals. It's about working together. The players need the staff, the staff need the players and the players need the supporters... If we keep moving forward together, working together, the results will come easier."