Marquinhos, the 31-year-old central defender and captain of Paris Saint-Germain, stopped in the mixed zone after PSG’s 3-0 victory against Chelsea (8-2 on aggregate, quarter-final to be played against Liverpool or Galatasaray) this Tuesday at Stamford Bridge in the second leg of the 2025-2026 Champions League Round of 16 (second leg on March 17).
Marquinhos: “We’re a team that’s always hungry.”
Is this a new season for PSG? Is anything possible?
People were talking a lot about fitness, that PSG wasn’t ready, not at last year’s level… Today we showed that we can turn things around very quickly. We knew we had to raise our collective level and be more compact. The forwards pressed a lot, and the midfielders were in good physical condition.
That’s also where the difference lies. The first leg was tight until the 75th minute, then we were able to score quickly. That’s what top-level football is all about; you have to keep working and not let up. The coach emphasized that we had to win this match.
Does this qualification feel good?
People often say that football is very dynamic, but we can’t let up after what we’ve achieved in the past. We always have things to improve, things to strive for. You always have to be hungry in football. That’s why we showed again today that we’re a team that’s always hungry.
That’s how we have to continue, in this positive direction, with this newfound confidence. When you find it again, you have to keep going in that direction; it’s difficult to maintain at this level. Important things happen, and it’s important to continue at this level. The whole team needs to be like this so that we can achieve great things again.
Marquinhos: “It’s great to see my team defend like that.”
What pleased you most tonight?
As a defender, what pleases me most is not conceding a goal. We know it’s difficult; it requires collective effort from the whole team. We did that today. In the first leg, we did well too, but something was still missing. We struggled in the final third.
Today, I think that even when they broke their press, we quickly got back to help and created 2-on-1 situations. We were stronger. That’s what helps us win like this. We have to keep going like this. That’s how we won last year; by being competitive, it’s great to see my team defend like this.
Marquinhos: “It’s very important to have a goalkeeper who can overcome pressure, win duels, and provide that reassurance.”
Does Safonov bring serenity?
It’s very important to have a goalkeeper who can overcome pressure, win duels, and provide that reassurance. Safonov has shown that he’s a truly great goalkeeper. That’s how it is at the highest level; all the teams that go all the way have had a goalkeeper who saves them when needed. They’ve managed to pull it off a few times, and he’s been very solid. It’s important to have a goalkeeper who provides that kind of reassurance. We have some truly great goalkeepers. It’s important; we know that no matter who plays, they’ll be there.
