At Paris Saint-Germain, competition for places has intensified across almost every position. Almost. Before the Classique victory in Marseille (1-2), L’Équipe noted that Vítor Machado Ferreira (26)—known as Vitinha—had played 609 of a possible 630 minutes this season. Yet, the Portuguese midfielder is currently going through a less stellar spell. And that is precisely what makes his status so intriguing.
Less brilliant, yet just as indispensable
It would be odd to claim that Vitinha is currently playing at his peak. His start to the season lacks the sharpness of his most impressive periods. His influence sometimes seems less commanding, his execution less clean, and he no longer quite gives the impression of controlling the game’s tempo with a remote control hidden in his sock.
And yet, Luis Enrique (56) rarely leaves him out of the equation. Before the OM-PSG match, Vitinha had played 609 out of a possible 630 minutes across all competitions. He played the full 90 minutes at the Vélodrome as well. In a squad where the starting lineup changes frequently—and where a few average performances are enough to immediately reignite debates about competition for places—this exception is remarkable.
But it is perfectly logical. A dip in form lasting a few weeks does not automatically wipe out everything a player has built. Vitinha has earned some leeway thanks to his vital role in PSG’s two Champions League campaigns, but above all because his function within the team is unique. Competition is meant to provide a stimulus; it is not intended to trigger a change simply for the sake of proving that it exists.
Replacing the player is not the same as replacing his function
This is likely where the real difference lies compared to many of his teammates. Luis Enrique has various options to cover almost every area of the pitch. Even in the holding midfield role, Paris can improvise, adapt a player’s profile, or tweak their tactical setup. But simply placing someone in front of the defense isn’t enough to create another Vitinha.
The Portuguese midfielder serves multiple purposes: he is an outlet for playing out from the back, a tempo-setter, and a player capable of dropping deep to advance the play; he is also the pivot around whom the team’s spacing often feels most natural. He doesn’t need to put in an exceptional performance in every match for his qualities to remain valuable. That is why his situation differs fundamentally from that of a striker lacking end product or a winger whose rival immediately offers more.
His status also speaks volumes about the current PSG side. The team has worked hard to become less reliant on individual brilliance. The two-time European champions can alter their attack, defense, and even their midfield lineup without completely losing their identity. Yet, at the heart of this drive for interchangeability, there remains a player whose specific role no one else can fully replicate.
A well-earned cushion, but a dependency to watch
There is, of course, a counter-argument. This trust cannot turn into permanent immunity. If Vitinha’s performance level were to drop significantly for a prolonged period, Luis Enrique would eventually have to look for alternatives. Furthermore, in such a long season, constantly asking him to play almost every available minute would raise another issue: the risk of burnout.
This may well be the subtle challenge underlying his current status. PSG doesn’t necessarily need to find a player better than Vitinha to challenge him for his spot. Their priority should be to build a credible enough alternative to cope without him—whether for an hour, a match, or several weeks—without radically altering their style of play.
For now, the observation remains almost amusing: Vitinha can have an off-day and still retain more leeway than many of his teammates do when they are actually playing well. This is not a privilege granted by Luis Enrique, but the result of everything Vitinha still contributes even when he is not in peak form. The real cause for concern, then, would not be seeing him go through a mediocre spell; it would be realizing that, even in this state, PSG still has no one who can genuinely step in and replace him.
