Fabian Ruiz, 29-year-old Paris Saint-Germain midfielder, answered questions from So Foot. He was notably asked to reflect on his time at PSG, where he signed in 2022 from Napoli. He also discussed the flaws he would like to correct in his game.
Ruiz: “With the arrival of Luis Enrique, everything has improved.”
A good period?
“I’m going through one of the best times of my career, that’s obvious. I’m very happy with the way things are going for me. With Paris, we’ve won almost every possible title, it’s incredible. The club has grown a lot in recent years.”
A major personal and collective development since signing?
The first season wasn’t very good, both personally and collectively. I had a little trouble adapting to the club, the city, and Ligue 1. I ended up playing almost every match, but at first, I encountered some difficulties.
With the arrival of Luis Enrique, everything went better. We already knew each other through the national team, I knew how he liked to play, and I suited his style of play well. Having the ball does me good.
Ruiz: “It’s one of the things I work on most every day.”
What do I need to improve personally?
Heading. I don’t particularly stand out in defensive tasks either, especially ball recovery, but I’m trying to improve that aspect of my game. It’s one of the things I work on most every day.”
Indeed, Ruiz had a difficult start in Paris. It’s logical that he’d be aware of it, as it was so clear. It always takes time to adapt, and we can easily admit that it was particularly difficult in a PSG team that was far from being as strong collectively as it is today.
It was still a team that relied too much on its stars, as if they weren’t fully part of the collective. A major problem corrected by Luis Enrique, and it really helped Ruiz express himself. Like other players. The collective above all, it was key to winning the Champions League.
Now, PSG can still improve, and so can the Spanish midfield. It’s interesting to see him talk about his flaws so honestly and the daily work required to improve. There’s no question of resting on his laurels. We’ve already seen him improve defensively, but his heading game remains, particularly in his timing to jump. We trust Ruiz and the staff to ensure progress.
