Fabian Ruiz, the 29-year-old midfielder who joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2022 from Napoli, faced heavy and prolonged criticism in Paris. Marco Verratti (32), who played alongside him for a season before leaving for Qatar, spoke to Foot Mercato about the Spaniard’s qualities, which he felt were unfairly criticized.
Verratti: “Everyone was saying that Fabian wasn’t a good fit for Paris Saint-Germain.”
“I think they had a magnificent season, especially Fabian, Vitinha, and João Neves. Fabian had gone through some difficult times. Today, he’s a player everyone respects. When I was in Paris, everyone was saying that Fabian wasn’t a good fit for Paris Saint-Germain.”
Verratti: “He’s an incredible player.”
“But I saw him every day. He’s a very intelligent player for today’s football, especially in a Luis Enrique team. He’s an incredible player because he knows how to attack space, he has the tempo of the game, he understands football. They were very important for PSG. In today’s football, the midfield is very important. They are magnificent in phases with or without the ball.”
This is another reminder, but one that will probably not prevent us from seeing this problem again. We need to maintain a bit of perspective and patience. A real analysis, even. Because it has become too common to see a player labeled “useless” and then everyone jumps in at the slightest opportunity (like a misplaced pass).
This is without going into the details, with a player’s adaptation to a club, a playing system, other collective issues, etc. A player can struggle in a certain situation without being “bad.” Ruiz has clearly demonstrated this; he’s been shining since he’s had a strong team around him. That’s no coincidence. The same goes for Vitinha (the 25-year-old midfielder). It’s great to see them finally being recognized for the great players they are.
As for Ruiz, in particular, his game intelligence allows him to be something of a “guarantor” of balance, both at PSG and with the Spanish national team.
