PSG/Aston Villa – Marquinhos on Kvara, Luis Enrique, signings, aims | OneFootball

On Wednesday, in the 2026 UEFA Super Cup, Paris Saint-Germain will face Aston Villa at Salzburg’s Red Bull Arena (kick-off at 9 p.m., live on Canal+). On the eve of this match, Parisian defender and captain Marquinhos (32) answered several questions at the press conference.

Marquinhos: “I had to defend against him in training, it was very difficult”

How is Kvaratskhelia doing? Is he even more determined? Does he need to set the tone after his rest?

Kvara is doing really well. He had a good vacation to recover and prepare. I had to defend against him in training, it was very difficult (smile). We count on all the players, we can’t put the weight on just one. We know the club’s and the coach’s philosophy. No matter who is on the pitch, everyone has a role to play. That’s the case with Kvaratskhelia — he’s an important player who had a huge season. If he does it again, that’s very good for us.

How are you approaching this new season? Can PSG aim for the treble in the Champions League?

That’s our objective. We know how difficult it is. Just because we won a lot doesn’t mean it was easy. There are a lot of obstacles. We have to take it step by step. There’s the match tomorrow. Even though we’ve had few training sessions, we’re hungry.

We can’t let anything slip. I want to win more and more. All the players here are like that. Even during the holidays, the players made sure they would be ready, while still balancing rest. The team out on the pitch tomorrow will give 100%.

Marquinhos: “He knows how to get the message across to the players.”

What is Luis Enrique’s mindset like? Is he relaxed?

He’s fresh, like Kvara (laughs). He knows how to get the message across to the players. It’s a very ambitious message, but also a very clear one. Every player has to understand their moment in the season, with preparation being extremely important. He knows that, like last year, the team won’t be at its best right from the start of the season. Everyone has to give their maximum to be at their best. We don’t have time — there’s already a title on the line tomorrow.

That matters to us. The coach doesn’t let us lower our guard or relax just because we’ve won. Titles stay in the past; to make history, you have to keep winning trophies. The message is very clear. We’re going to keep chasing titles — that’s increasingly becoming PSG’s mentality.

Marquinhos: “My role is to make them feel comfortable, so they understand the club’s philosophy and ambition.”

What role do you play with the new signings as captain?

It’s always about putting them in the best possible conditions, talking to them, explaining the team’s philosophy. We have a group that makes new signings feel welcome from day one. We’re not a closed-off team. We’re open to new signings who are going to help us. My role is to make them feel comfortable, so they understand the club’s philosophy and ambition. Everyone is important for that. I’m here to help if needed.

Has fear gradually disappeared from PSG over the years?

I think that comes from the club’s philosophy today, driven by the management and the coach. That’s what he looks for every day in training. When he arrived, he said we would have an Everest to climb and that we wouldn’t be able to come back down. He always wants to improve, and he knows very well how to get his messages across. He also knows very well when he needs to tighten things up.

He has brought us to where we are today, and the players trust him. His message is always to give the maximum, no matter the opponent or the context. We want to have the ball. Even away from home, those are things that happened less before. It says a lot about what the club is today. The message has been conveyed very well.

Marquinhos: “The team is ready for every opponent.”

Do you build on the past to move forward?

No, every match is different, every story is different. Defeats give you experience and show what we need to improve, while victories show the way. A lot has happened, and the team is ready for every opponent, while knowing the matches won’t be easy. We can make them easier. No matter the situation, we’re ready with our resources to win. We’ve won in the last minute, in difficult moments.

Today, we’re in a different place than in the past. We’re hungry, we have objectives to chase. We mustn’t dwell on the past, but keep the experience and what we did well. That’s been our path up to now. We carry our history with us, but we put it aside to go after new things.

Marquinhos: “He knows the club’s history well”

Did Digne talk to you about Aston Villa?

He didn’t say too much about the opponent, but maybe he spoke to the coach. He’s the one preparing the match. Every player can have his own interpretation. But we need to have a shared understanding of the match and the strategy. We want the information from the coach and staff so that we all have the same vision. The coach will pass on the message we need for the strategy.

Lucas arrived the same year I did the first time, with the hunger to go after things. We had different paths and now we’re seeing each other again. We gave each other a hug in training and talked about what we’ve been through. I told him he had come back home, and I’m very happy to see him again. He’s part of my history at PSG. He knows the club’s history well; he too has lived through strong moments. I’m very happy. I hope we’ll still experience great things together.

Any memories here?

Yes, it was a very important match (against Salzburg, league phase 2024-2025) to qualify. We had the ambition to win and put in a very good performance. I hope tomorrow will have a bit of the same atmosphere, that it will bring good energy to help us win this title. The supporters will be there, and that’s a pleasure.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.