Former Paris Saint-Germain player Danilo Pereira shared his most memorable memories from the Paris dressing room in an interview with Onze Mondial. The Portuguese midfielder notably spoke about two players who had a profound impact on him: Marco Verratti and the young 19-year-old Warren Zaïre-Emery, a symbol of the new Parisian generation.
Danilo: “It was incredible!”
Which two players impressed you the most?
“First, I say it every day: it’s Marco (Verratti). With the ball, without the ball… it was incredible! The way he also speaks to people… He’s a midfielder I’d never seen before, a complete player. Then I’d say Warren (Zaire-Emery). At 16 or 17, he was doing incredible things. He hasn’t played as much lately, but I think he still has room for improvement and can go far. He’s a very nice young player, and I like him.”
Danilo Pereira’s words sound like a bridge between two eras of Paris Saint-Germain. On one side, Marco Verratti, a timeless genius of the short game, whom the Portuguese describes as “complete” both with and without the ball, the embodiment of an intuitive and elegant football that shaped the QSI version of PSG. On the other, Warren Zaïre-Emery, whom he saw blossom from the age of 16, impressed by his precocious maturity and calm amidst the Parisian tumult.
Danilo’s observation is lucid: the young captain of the Espoirs is going through a more discreet phase, but his potential remains immense. In one sentence, Danilo sums up the invisible transmission that keeps PSG alive: from Verratti to Zaïre-Emery, the midfield baton continues to pass from hand to hand.
