Vitinha (25), midfielder for Paris Saint-Germain, and Nuno Mendes (23), the Parisian club’s left-back, continue to make a strong impression well beyond Ligue 1. In an interview with Marca, Roberto Martínez, head coach of Portugal, delivered high praise for both players, fully in line with the vision promoted by Luis Enrique at PSG.
“Vitinha is capable of executing coaches’ instructions to perfection. He has the technical qualities to anticipate the game. His reading of the game and his ball control are exceptional. I share Luis Enrique’s opinion.”
Nuno Mendes the best left-back? He is the most versatile. Nuno can play on the wing or centrally, he can play more like a number 10 than a full-back, he knows how to attack the box, he can play as a third centre-back… I have never seen a left-back perform at such a high level in so many different positions.”
At Paris Saint-Germain, Vitinha (25) and Nuno Mendes (23) embody two complementary pillars of the project led by Luis Enrique. The former has become the team’s quiet brain: controlling tempo, directing play, and providing tactical discipline.
Vitinha is not just a tidy midfielder; he is a player who allows the collective to breathe and secures the coaching staff’s key ideas. The latter, Nuno Mendes, is a modern anomaly: full-back, wing-back, central defender, or even an interior solution, he gives PSG rare structural freedom at the highest level.
This importance naturally extends to the Portugal national team, where Roberto Martínez relies on them as tactical guarantees. One thinks the game, the other multiplies its possibilities. At PSG and with the national team, they are no longer prospects — they are foundations.
