Vitinha, the 26-year-old Paris Saint-Germain midfielder, spoke to CBS Sports Golazo after the penalty shootout victory (1-1 in regulation time, 4-3 on penalties) against Arsenal this Saturday at the Puskás Arena in Budapest in the 2025-2026 Champions League final.
Vitinha: “Sometimes there were six defenders and sometimes you lose patience.”
Is it great to win a second time?
It’s hard to say, winning back-to-back titles is unimaginable. But we fought in every match. I think we deserve the trophy. We were the better team on the pitch.
You didn’t create many chances in the first half, did you cause problems in midfield afterwards?
Thank you, but I have to talk about the whole team. Everyone played well, even though I’m grateful. They were very close, it was hard to get forward. Sometimes there were six defenders and sometimes we lost patience. We had more space later on.
Vitinha: “They want time to do everything. I’m not criticizing, it’s their strategy.”
The coach’s message at halftime?
Not to lose patience. We know they play in a special way, which takes us out of the game. They want time to do everything. I’m not criticizing, it’s their strategy. It’s easy to get lost in it and we didn’t. We controlled the game.
Vitinha: “He’s the main figure of the team.”
When the stars left, you said everything would be fine. Luis Enrique is special, why?
He brings a lot to the team. He deserves all of this, for the incredible coach he is and the person he is. He’s the main figure of the team. The team comes first. It’s tough if everyone doesn’t want to play together as much.
You have a lot of freedom, but with a structure to respect?
It’s very enjoyable. It’s hard to get into it, but once you understand it, it’s very difficult for your opponent. It’s hard to play like that, and on top of that, winning is incredible!
