Paris (AFP)

"To end this adventure with a title in the Champions League, it's our dream," Thiago Silva, PSG captain, told AFP in an interview before the quarter-final against Atalanta Bergamo on August 12 in Lisbon, sensing "a great opportunity to go to the end".

Q: The fiftieth anniversary of PSG coincides with the start of the “Final 8” of C1. Is this the perfect time to finally win, knowing that you will play your last matches with Paris?

A: "I don't hope eh (laughs)! This match, on August 12th, is going to be a special day, not only for me but for the club as well. All the people who work for PSG hope that we can celebrate it. anniversary of the club with the qualification. To succeed, you have to prepare well against Atalanta, a team that scores a lot of goals (98 in Serie A, Editor's note) and works a lot defensively. We know that it will not be easy but we have the qualities to make a good match. "

Q: You are already considered the best defender in the history of PSG. Do you want to do even better by bringing the C1 back to Paris?

A: "Staying eight years in Paris is not easy. If I did it it was because I was useful for the team. I am very happy with everything I have done here, with all the respect the supporters have given me. It's wonderful! I hope to end this adventure with a title in the Champions League, it's our dream. "

Q: In Paris since 2012 and the beginnings of the QSI project, you have experienced both the progression and the European disappointments. Would winning the C1 be an outcome?

A: "Yes exactly, I've seen it all here (...) It's a very important title, not only for the players but for the club. For the supporters, it would be something incredible! I came in Paris for this adventure, for this objective. "

Q: After Rai, Ricardo or Ronaldinho, you are one of the many Brazilians to have entered the legend of PSG. How do you explain this special love story?

R: "Ah love, it's not easy to explain it (smile)! It's like everyday with my wife, I can't explain, the love I have for her, nor for her the love she has for me. That's how it is! We Brazilians, we love football too much! I believe that Parisians too, especially the players who have a different magic. I hope that Paris will continue to buy Brazilian players to continue this story. "

Q: The incredible evening against Dortmund (2-0), on March 11, behind closed doors at the Parc des Princes, was it the trigger of your season?

A: "Yes I think so because it was a very difficult match there (2-1 loss in the round of 16 first leg). We lost and we started to think about everything that happened again. last year against Manchester United, our three successive eliminations before the quarterfinals ... It was difficult to digest but we knew what we wanted to do: offer this qualification to our supporters even if they were not in the stadium. The match is not won when you enter the field but during the week during the preparation. That's what we achieved in the second leg. "

Q: PSG have announced that they do not wish to extend your contract. Despite this, you wanted to finish the season unlike Edinson Cavani and Thomas Meunier. Why ?

A: "The three situations are a little different. I don't know the context for Meunier and Cavani, but for me it was important to finish the season because for eight years that I am there, I know the club and its objective well. . I also know the group, and this year, I feel that there is a great opportunity to go to the end. The group, with a lot of desire and quality, gave me that impression. , we feel like a real family, that's what gives you the confidence to continue the journey with them. If I start a mission, I want to try to finish it. I can win or lose but I will give everything for good finish."

Q: Who would you like to see take back your captain's armband?

A: "It's not me who will decide. But I believe the club have already chosen Marquinhos, the vice-captain today. I have already spoken with him about that. Even though he is only 26 years, he already has a lot of experience. He knows all what he has to do. He will continue his progression as a player. It would be a good choice to appoint him, because he is an incredible leader who always tries to motivate his teammates in the locker room. For the vice-captain, + Presko + (Kimpembe) has the right profile, in my opinion, to follow Marquinhos and continue this story. "

Interview by Yassine KHIRI.

© 2020 AFP