Willian Pacho, solid youth

Paris Saint-Germain has a new defender - meet Willian Pacho, the club's first Ecuadorian player.

TROPHIES HERE AND THERE

From Esmeraldas province in north-west Ecuador, he started his career at Independiente Del Valle. The centre-back left his mark on the club as he helped them win their first domestic title in 2021. He also won the U20 Copa Libertadores before heading to Europe.

He landed in Belgium where he joined Royal Antwerp. In his first season in Europe, he confirmed his qualities and added to his trophies. The most-used outfield player at just 20 years old, he played 50 games to enjoy a pivotal role in the club's league-cup double, Antwerp's first Belgian top-flight title since 1957.  Alongside Belgian icon Toby Alderweireld, they had the best defensive record in the league, conceding just 26 goals.

UPWARD TRAJECTORY

He joined Eintracht Frankfurt the following season, and played all but one of the Bundesliga club's 34 league games. He was second in terms of 'possession recovered' league-wide, and won 58% of his duels. 

His performances caught the eye of suitors and also his national team coach Gustavo Alfaro, who had called him up for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. He did not feature in that tournament, but was a mainstay of the recent Copa America side, playing all four games, including the quarter-final defeat to Argentina on penalties.

The left-footed centre-back will now aim to continue his upward trajectory in Paris where he is sure to be a real asset to coach Luis Enrique.

DID YOU KNOW?

Pacho made 44 starts for Frankfurt last season, playing left-back at times as well as in the heart of the backline. He logged 3939 minutes across 33 Bundesliga games, three DFB Cup ties and eight UEFA Europa Conference League appearances.