Too low, always too low. In the great European matches in which he took part with PSG, Thiago Silva has often been accused of a nervousness, which, it is said, systematically leads to the loss of his team. The round of 16 first leg against Dortmund confirmed the trend, without also condemning Paris. 2-1, honest score, no man died. Taken several times by default by Haaland, Thiago can nevertheless thank his buddy for having plugged the breaches and allowed the boat not to take the water. Oxymoric association than that of the two Brazilians. Marquinhos, because he is the one we are talking about, is the man who never stops climbing. In every sense of the term.
- Defensively, it is the most aggressive and conquering.
- Tactically, because it has to evolve higher, in the midfield.
- Affectionately, the Parc des Princes carries it in its heart
- In terms of influence, because the captain's armband will return to him when Thiago Silva is gone
Titi by adoption
It is to wonder, with a little hindsight and forcing the line, if the player trained at the Corinthians has not become the most important player of the Parisian project. From Leonardo's point of view, one should not be far from reality. Responsible for his arrival at the club in 2013, the Parisian sports director recently pushed for the extension of the player until 2024 to be recorded in January, when the file did not appear to be a priority - the previous one expired in 2022. The genre mark of affection which gives the person concerned the feeling of being "at home" and the desire to stay indefinitely at PSG.
"If I continue to be happy here with the project and the admiration of the public, why not [make my whole career in Paris]? "At the club, we see him as" the new Titi, the one that the supporters chose for the new Tifo jersey (white) earlier this season ".
Relive the unveiling of this third jersey, with this Tifo bearing the image of our @ marquinhos_m5 🤩
🔴🔵 #ICICESTPARIS pic.twitter.com/qmKR3KZ09U
The Titi by adoption, respected for his needy side and his sense of collective, he is sent to coal in the midfield while he aspires to become the best defending player in the world. Tuchel prefers him to the middle, where "his influence is greater".
The player could all the more complain that this tactical instability worries on the side of Brazil, where his coach, Tite, would like to see more often Marquinhos play stopper, his position in Seleção. Especially since, explains Muricy Ramalho, former winner of the Libertadores on the bench of Santos and now consultant in Brazil, "on the line of four defenders, it is the only indisputable holder. He is very good and is beginning to be experienced. But I don't think its versatility is bad. Fabinho can also play in two positions, this offers one more option to the coach. "
The art of being a leader
To the sense of duty must be added a certain love of responsibilities. Marqui makes it a point of honor to systematically show up in the mixed zone on its own when nothing is going well. After the Manchester United remount at the Park last year, he was there. Disgusted with life, quavering voice, moist eyes, certainly, but present. And it was the only one. More recently, he defended the group from being “afraid of making mistakes” against Dortmund as Tuchel suspected. Before defusing, a handful of days later, the triple anniversary-gate in late diplomacy.
“It is true that it was a mistake to distribute the images. We agree and are aware of this. It was an anniversary planned before the match [the defeat against Borussia Dortmund]. It is not a question of results. Above all, we must tell our supporters that it was not a lack of respect. […] It was a time for us to spend time together and forget football a bit. "
For all this and much more, Marquinhos has gradually gone from a funny kid in the locker room to a legitimate aspirant to the armband, which he already wears when Thiago Silva is not there and whose departure promises to be irremediable at the end of the season, Leonardo not wishing to extend it. Ramalho: “There is no doubt, for me he will be the natural leader of PSG. Mbappé, even if he allows himself to pass a soap after the painful victory against Bordeaux in Ligue 1, decrees for his part that Marqui was already "the boss".
🗣️ "They come to our house twice and there is a fire!"
Mbappé and Marquinhos talk about tactics at the end of #PSGFCGB 👀 pic.twitter.com/PmxcrAlxAu
Of course, the man modestly refuses to covet the precious, probably out of respect for his mentor ("we are very good today with the captain we have. I take advantage of the time by his side to learn with him. for a moment I have to be a captain, I will try to do it in the best possible way ”). But he is aware of his leadership talents which he tries, he said in 2018 to Veja magazine, to distil as simply as possible. “Not only with words, but with gestures, in the way of training. […] I think it's a combination of things, you have to be able to speak, communicate and above all be professional and hard-working ”.
At 25, Marquinhos has already understood everything about being a captain, including how to speak to an older man whose ego goes beyond comprehension. Like, at random, Neymar. "If I have something to say to her, I will do it when the time is right." I have a more intimate relationship with him as we have known each other for some time. But he is older, he has more experience than I do, he knows what is best for him. Marquinhos knows what is good for PSG: "not talk too much and act". What, he regretted after the return match against Manchester, the team had not done last year. Under the leadership of its new leader, Paris still has a game to learn from past mistakes.
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