In an interview with O Jogo, Luis Campos, sporting advisor for Paris Saint-Germain, offered a clear perspective on Vitinha (25, midfielder, PSG) and João Neves (21, midfielder, PSG). For the Portuguese executive, nationality is merely a detail: only the ability to serve PSG’s objectives matters.
Vitinha and Neves? Yes, of course, I’m proud.” From that perspective, I can’t consider them Portuguese, not because we have four Portuguese players at PSG… They all are Portuguese because they are high-quality players who add value to our game. They could come from other countries. In this respect, I have to consider PSG’s objectives.
In Portugal, there are many good players, and there are always many promising young talents. You can’t imagine my pride today seeing the president of our federation receive the trophy for Portugal.
With these words, Luis Campos lays a cornerstone of the Parisian project: PSG doesn’t recruit based on nationality, but on profiles capable of raising the collective level. By citing Vitinha (25 years old) and João Neves (21 years old), he emphasizes that their presence in Paris is not due to national bias, but to a sporting imperative. The two midfielders embody the same philosophy of the game: intelligence, stamina, technical mastery, and the ability to integrate into a demanding tactical framework.
Campos adopts a cold, almost clinical approach: regardless of origin, only the impact on the pitch and alignment with the club’s ambitions matter. This logic doesn’t diminish his pride in seeing Portuguese football shine, but it relegates it to the background. At PSG, national pride ends where the responsibility for the project begins. A clear, deliberate, and above all, consistent approach with the structural shift undertaken by Paris in recent seasons.
