In an interview with UEFA, relayed by the Paris Saint-Germain website, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the 25-year-old Parisian winger, delivered a very revealing statement about his mindset. Between humility, personal demands, and collective ambition, the Georgian emphasized that his success depends first and foremost on the team.
Kvaratskhelia: “I think every player can improve something.”
After the matches against Bayern Munich, many observers praised your performances. But if you had to improve one aspect of your game, what would it be?
I think every player can improve something, and I’m one of them. I’m always trying to progress, to score more goals, to make more assists. But for me, football isn’t just about goals and assists. How you contribute to the team is more important. Sometimes you can’t score, sometimes you can’t make an assist, but you can give everything on the pitch and your team wins. That’s what’s most important to me. When I finish a match, I want to know that I gave 100% to my team and that I helped them win.
Kvaratskhelia: “There aren’t many players capable of winning matches on their own.”
You’re talking about helping the team. Why is it important to put the team before individual glory?
At first, I think I was more of an individual player than a team player. But I realized that without your team, you’re nothing. There aren’t many players capable of winning matches on their own. I understood that when you have a good team and everyone gives their all with their teammates, the results come.
The first key idea in this statement is humility. Fresh off impressive performances against Bayern Munich and a strong run in the knockout stages, Kvaratskhelia didn’t try to elevate himself above the team. On the contrary, he explained his desire to continue improving, particularly in his attacking efficiency, while emphasizing that football isn’t just about goals and assists.
His message was quite clear: a great match can also be built on effort, running, intensity, and the ability to support teammates. It was a way of showing that at Paris Saint-Germain, his influence isn’t limited to a single impressive statistic or spectacular play.
Kvaratskhelia: “We can beat any team.”
This unity at PSG seems incredible today. You can see it on the pitch.
Yes, I think it’s one of the team’s greatest strengths. We’re happy together, very united, and we know that if we fight for each other and play our football, we can beat any team.
You combine simplicity, energy, and ambition, and you’re often the one who makes the difference. What drives you to reach a new level every day?
When you play for PSG, you always have to be ambitious because there are many players who would like to take your place. You have to show in every match that you deserve to wear this badge close to your heart. I always try to give my best. I want to win as many trophies and as many matches as possible with this team.
This humility is also accompanied by a real work ethic. Kvaratskhelia admits that, in his younger days, he was a player more focused on individual brilliance. His evolution is significant: he says he has come to understand that a player, even a very talented one, cannot thrive in the long term without a strong team around him.
This shift is interesting because it perfectly reflects the current PSG, often portrayed as a more united, more cohesive group, less reliant on a single individual. The Georgian doesn’t deny his ability to make a difference, but he now integrates it into a more collective approach. In short, dribbling remains a weapon, but it is no longer an end in itself.
Kvaratskhelia: “I’m in good form and I’m just trying to do my job.”
Seven goals in your last seven knockout matches, and when we watch you, you always seem very calm, very relaxed. How do you do it?
It’s difficult. It’s not as easy as it might seem, because in the Champions League, all the teams can be great teams, and it’s very difficult to score against them. But I have incredible teammates who create situations for me where I just have to shoot and score. I’m proud to be able to score goals now. I’m in good form and I’m just trying to do my job as well as possible. And I want to score even more.
How would you describe a Champions League night? In your mind, what is a Champions League night?
I think for every football player, the main goal is to play in the Champions League. When you play in it and you hear that anthem, you’re just happy. You know you’ve done something great to be here and hear this music. And when you know you’re going to play a Champions League match, you have to prepare because it will be a big occasion for you.
Kvaratskhelia: “I think we just have to trust ourselves, believe in ourselves.”
It’s often said that defending a title is very difficult. For you and your teammates, is it complicated?
Yes, I think it’s really difficult. We’ve already seen that. We’ve had many matches where we’ve had to fight until the very end, and we’ve beaten many very strong teams. Of course, it’s difficult. But as I said, we have quality. We have players capable of anything. I think we just have to trust ourselves, believe in ourselves, and give everything to win the trophy.
Finally, Kvaratskhelia put this mentality into the context of the Champions League and the upcoming final. He knows that defending a title is an immense challenge, especially after matches where PSG had to fight to the very end against top-level opponents.
But his tone remains calm, almost cool in the best sense of the word. He mentions the difficulty, without exaggerating it, and emphasizes above all confidence, the quality of the squad, and the need to give everything to win the trophy. Just days before a major match, this is exactly the kind of message Paris wants to convey: ambition, yes, but without unnecessary arrogance. The task is daunting, but Kvaratskhelia seems well-suited to it.
