On Thursday, during the 2025 Trophée des Champions, Paris Saint-Germain will face Olympique de Marseille at the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait (kick-off at 7 p.m. CET). On the eve of this match, PSG defender and captain Marquinhos (31 years old) answered several questions at a press conference.
Marquinhos: “It depends a lot on us, we know we can do it.”
Will the defeat at the Stade Vélodrome impact this match? Is there more motivation?
I think a defeat against Marseille is always a negative. It doesn’t go away so quickly. We have a special motivation against our rival. It’s a Classico, we always want to win. Even more so in a final. We have many victories against them, but they won the last match. We have to set things right, play a good match to take the title. It depends a lot on us, we know we can do it.
Is becoming a record holder for titles on your mind?
It’s always a motivation. It wasn’t the objective when I was young, but now, there it is. You have to seize the opportunities to win titles. That’s the objective during the season when you’re at PSG. You always have to be hungry, the desire to win every match. It’s a great opportunity to add to the trophy cabinet, it makes me hungry.
Marquinhos: “They never scare me.”
Does the OM team still scare you?
They never scare me. Scared, no. We have a lot of respect for our opponents. But we’re not afraid. That’s a different word to use. We have respect, first and foremost for ourselves. With our mindset, our philosophy. We have to do what it takes to win. Whether it’s against Marseille or the bottom team in the league.
Every match has its own story. They’ve had some difficulties in the league lately, but that doesn’t mean anything. We have the experience, we know anything can happen. It’s up to us to stick to our playing philosophy, what we have to do on the pitch. That’s how we respect our opponents.
De Zerbi spoke of extreme ferocity, do you expect to be physically challenged? Will it be a battle?
It was a bit like that in the last match there. We expect that, we’re ready for it. We know that put us in a difficult position. We know what to expect. It’s a final, we know what Marseille will do to try and win. We know their philosophy, we’ll prepare well. It’s up to us to control the match, to come out with the right commitment so we can win this title.
Marquinhos: “That’s how you make history.”
There won’t be any fans coming from France, but will the Classico still be there?
It’s a shame, but we know they’ll always be behind us. We’ve seen a lot of fans here too. We think the stadium will be full. I’ve played in quite a few Trophée des Champions matches, and the debate is there. But it’s an opportunity to showcase French football to the world. And that’s the case once again.
That won’t change; the match always has a special flavor. This title also shows that we had a great season last year. You have to do what it takes to win the title and not let the opponent have it. That’s how you make history. It’s important to win in order to come home with that trophy.
Marquinhos: “We know what finals are like, we know what we have to do.”
What do you learn from losing finals? What does experience teach you?
There are two sides to it, the feeling is very different. This experience from both sides gives us strength for tomorrow’s opportunity. We don’t want to lose tomorrow. We’re going onto the pitch to do everything we can to win.
We know what finals are like, we know what we have to do, how to be ready and perform well in order to win duels and do what’s best for the team. We’re going to train and we’ll be ready.
Your best and worst memories against Marseille?
The worst are the defeats. The best, I think, was the Trophée des Champions match in Lens. There were also a few goals, including one there; it’s always a great feeling. I’d say those moments.
