Lisbon (AFP)

"For PSG, this time is the right one," Valdo, former player of the Parisian semi-finalist of the Champions League in 1995, told AFP on Monday, before the second semi-final of the history of the French club against Leipzig, scheduled for Tuesday (21:00) in Lisbon.

Q: You are one of the few people to have been able to meet PSG in their Lisbon hotel after the victory against Bergamo (2-1). What atmosphere did you feel?

A: "What I felt was the love of the players for each other. They are really united between them. And also the complicity between the players and their coach (Thomas Tuchel). To get back to the score against the Italians - when I was a player, I was eliminated several times by Italian clubs (AC Milan in 1995 in the semi-final of C1, Editor's note) -, if there is no 'love, bonding with each other, you never come back. To equalize in the 90th minute and then gain the advantage in the 93rd minute, you have to be really tough in the head. "

Q: Did you give them any advice on how to approach the semi-final against Leipzig?

A: "How can I give advice to Kylian Mbappé, Neymar and company (laughs)? We didn't even get into this subject because they are players from another planet! It seems that for them, everything is easy. I know what I was at PSG but I stay in my place. I tried to joke with them, because they are tired of talking about football. It was a fantastic time! "

Q: You are Brazilian and wore the N.10 at PSG. How do you see Neymar, very leggy since the start of "Final 8"?

A: "To talk about Neymar, you don't need a lot of words: he's a genius and we'll stop there! I feel he's coming at a good time: he's 28, he's lived a lot of things since his arrival at PSG, a lot of people have spoken against him ... When I spoke with him, I felt him serene, calm. He is waiting to show who Neymar Jr is! "

Q: With the absence of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the last four, does he have a golden opportunity to finally establish himself as the best player in the world?

A: "This year, there is no Ballon d'Or (because of the Covid-19, Editor's note) but there is still the Best (Fifa) trophy. For me, it will be played during the final of the Champions League between him and Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich). He has everything he needs to be the first, and he knows it. If PSG wins the C1, it is almost certain that he will be the best player. "

Q: Why do you say that his duet with Kylian Mbappé is an "atomic bomb"?

A: "Ah, I can tell you that I would not like to be the coach of the opposing team! If you are a defender, it is difficult for you to sleep on the eve of the match (laughs). Mbappé is strong, explosive, he has speed ... It is very complicated to stop him. Neymar, similarly, he goes too fast with the ball, he is technical, he eliminates, he improvises ... For me, he is the best duo in the world. Better than this, there isn't one. "

Q: Can the 2020 generation of PSG succeed where your 1995 generation failed by going for the title in C1?

A: "Yes, they have everything to succeed! In my time, we were only allowed three foreign players in the squad. Today when we look at the starting XI, it's only Kylian and (Presnel ) Kimpembe as the only French. All the foreigners present are at the top level. I don't know if this generation is stronger or weaker than us, but they have everything to succeed. When I see the workforce, I prefer to be with that against Paris. I think that for the PSG, this time it is good. "

Interview by Yassine KHIRI.

© 2020 AFP