Pedro Miguel Pauleta, former star striker for Portugal who notably played for Paris Saint-Germain (2003-2008), gave an interview to Ici Paris, published Friday evening. The former PSG captain was asked about the fans’ special affection for his fellow Parisian players: Nuno Mendes (23-year-old left-back), João Neves (21-year-old midfielder), Vitinha (26-year-old midfielder), and Gonçalo Ramos (24-year-old striker).
Pauleta said, “As people and professionals, they are top-notch.”
“Do you know why? They are good players who have respected the club since they arrived. I know these four players well; I was the director of youth development for the national team, and I saw them arrive at 15, 16, 17, and 18 years old, all the way up to the U21 level. We’re not going to talk about the players themselves, but as people and professionals, they are top-notch.”
The four of them aren’t superstars, but they love football and enjoy playing it with tremendous skill. That’s why they’re loved and will continue to be loved by any coach and fans. They know they’re always there as top professionals. The others are too, but we’re talking about four Portuguese players.
“That’s the work of the club, the sporting director, and the coach.”
Before, we were told, ‘Two or three Brazilians is already too many.’ But it’s true that it’s not normal to have four players from the same country with this level of quality. When you have a player like Gonçalo Ramos who plays 10, 15, 20 minutes with the performance he gives, his smile, his work ethic, every time he steps onto the pitch. It’s 10 minutes, 5 minutes, sometimes he doesn’t even come on, and yet he still works hard.
For a coach, and Luis Enrique said it last week, it’s incredible, he’s the most important player on the team. He’s a great player, always happy and ready to help the team, always with a team spirit, and that’s thanks to the work of the club, the sporting director, and the coach.”
Indeed, this Portuguese group at PSG has managed to win the hearts of the fans, the media, the management, and the Parisian staff. There are, of course, all their qualities as players. They belong at the highest level and have proven it time and again. Notably Nuno Mendes, Neves, and Vitinha, who are regularly impressive in the Champions League.
All this with a certain simplicity and humility. There’s no question of looking better than others, creating problems, or forgetting the team. They simply want to enjoy themselves to the fullest by playing football and helping the team. A superb mentality perfectly implemented by the club and its coach, Luis Enrique. This also applies to recruitment, with essential pre-signing discussions. A point often overlooked by fans when they make recommendations for the transfer window. This is a crucial step in building such a team.
There’s even a Ramos who’s always ready to fight for the team, never complaining despite what can be a frustrating lack of playing time. The Portuguese striker is always ready and has been decisive several times in important moments. We hope he manages to take his starting role to the next level; it would be a great reward for his attitude. He has the talent; he just needs to find a way to fully and consistently express it within this team.
