Marquinhos, the 31-year-old central defender and captain of Paris Saint-Germain, stopped in the mixed zone after the 3-2 victory against AS Monaco this Tuesday at the Stade Louis II in the first leg of the 2025-2026 Champions League playoffs (second leg on February 25).
Marquinhos: “We’re not changing anything.”
A welcome victory?
I think all victories are good; they give us confidence. We started the match poorly, we made mistakes in duels and positioning that led to us conceding goals. But that’s how our team is. Even when we’re losing 2-0, 5-0, if we win, if the match is difficult, if the match is easy, we’re not changing anything. That’s our philosophy.
Once again, we showed the mental strength to overcome a match here. It’s very difficult. The last few matches here have always been complicated. The victory gives us confidence for the future. I hope we can continue this momentum.
Any regrets about not scoring four or five goals?
Yes. We had chances, we had plenty of time with an extra player. But the most important thing was the victory. If we had won 4-2, it wouldn’t have changed anything for the return leg; we would have had the same mentality to attack and win. It won’t change our mentality.
Marquinhos: “He changed the game.
Doué changed the game?
Yes, that’s why he was named player of the match. I think it’s the best way to respond, along with hard work. We talked a lot during the week about the team and our work ethic. He’s a great kid and a great player, with his mentality. It’s normal to have difficult moments; I’ve seen great players come through PSG and be criticized.
It’s always the mentality and hard work that pay off. That’s what he did today. He started on the bench and came on with a good mentality, good energy. He changed the game; he was very decisive. It’s great to have a player like him.”
Marquinhos: “The most important thing is to talk, to be honest with ourselves.”
A progression in the team’s mental level?
We made mistakes in the first few minutes. We talked, we made adjustments, and our positioning was much better afterward. There were some offensive and defensive details to iron out. After that, they hardly had any chances. We managed to turn the game around. Mistakes happen. The most important thing is to talk, to be honest with ourselves. Which is what we did. We corrected some mistakes, and that gave us something extra.
Marquinhos: “Whether we’re missing a player or have one more, we have to strive to win.”
Is the team mentally indestructible?
(smiles) Nobody is indestructible. But we have that mental strength that the coach cultivates. It’s our philosophy. He pushes us for it; he likes it. We’ve had some difficult matches, and some easier ones. He’s still very demanding; nothing can change. Whether we have one less player or one more, we have to strive to win, be aggressive, try to control the game, and have possession.
It doesn’t matter who the opponent is or what the game is like. We’re not perfect; we’re human. Sometimes we’re better, sometimes we’re worse, sometimes we’re more efficient than others. There’s no such thing as an indestructible team.
