Van der Wiel in awe of PSG's progress: « It’s all come together »

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·15 September 2026

Van der Wiel in awe of PSG's progress: « It’s all come together »

Ten years after his departure, Grégory Van der Wiel, 38, the former Paris Saint-Germain right-back now retired, still looks back on his time in the capital with great affection. Speaking to Flashscore, the Dutchman reflected on his early days in Paris and on Marquinhos, 32, PSG defender and captain.

Van der Wiel: “Playing for a team like that in a city like Paris was a dream”

In the summer of 2012, you joined Paris Saint-Germain. How did you experience the transition to such a huge club? “I grew up with high expectations at Ajax, where you always have to win. But Paris was on a whole other level. A new country, a new culture, a dressing room where no one spoke my language. Tactically, it was also a huge change. “In the Netherlands, we played in a strict 4-3-3, and then suddenly in Paris we switched to a 4-4-2. It took me time to adapt. But once I did, playing for a team like that in a city like Paris was a dream.” Marquinhos was already there in your time and is now a club legend. Did you think he would stay that long and reach that status? “You never know how long someone is going to stay, but what he has achieved is incredible. He arrived very young and learned from all the great players before him. Seeing him today as captain, regularly leading the team deep into the Champions League, is fantastic. It was an honor to play alongside him.”

Van der Wiel’s memories take us back to the early years of the big Paris project. Arriving in 2012, the Dutchman experienced a PSG still in the middle of its transformation, with European ambitions growing just as quickly as the squad was being strengthened. His account also helps illustrate the remarkable rise of Marquinhos, who arrived at just 19 in 2013 and has since become the most-capped player in the club’s history.

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Van der Wiel: “Balance is everything in football”

Ten years after your departure, PSG rules Europe. What changed for them to finally break through that glass ceiling? “The evolution has been superb. We had an incredible team in my time, and the teams that followed with Neymar, Messi and Mbappé were also exceptional. But I think recently, everything really came together because the team is much more balanced. “There may be a few fewer big names, but balance is everything in football. Everyone knows their role, the players complement each other, and they have an excellent coach who knows how to make the whole thing work.”

The observation is all the more striking given that Van der Wiel experienced the era when Paris was still searching for the formula capable of turning an accumulation of talent into European dominance. PSG has since crossed that threshold, with back-to-back Champions League titles in 2025 and 2026. Above all, his view highlights the shift in philosophy: less dependence on individual stars, more complementarity, and a collective identity that is now clearly recognizable. An evolution that gives even more weight to the memories of those who took part in the early years of this project.

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