Vitinha emerges as PSG’s guide and Luis Enrique’s on-field conduit | OneFootball

Once a quiet, even mocked arrival, Vitinha has become Luis Enrique’s trusted conduit at PSG, his influence now extending well beyond the pitch.

He struck a hat-trick against Tottenham in a 5-3 Champions League win on 26 November. According to L'Équipe, the Portuguese is now more than a match-winner, acting as an influential relay for the coach across the squad and finishing third in the Ballon d’Or.

The shift follows painful 2022-2023 months after a €40m move, when he was timid in sessions and wary of star scrutiny. At 25, he cuts a composed figure, seen at San Mamés joking with Gonçalo Ramos and Joao Neves.

The profile suits Enrique’s template, discreet and professional, and he drives Vitinha hard. In training, the dressing room, video reviews and on the pitch, Enrique leans on him, beyond Marquinhos, to transmit instructions because he embodies the game model and chooses his words carefully.

Now a 35-cap Portugal international and vice-captain alongside Achraf Hakimi and Ousmane Dembélé, he leads by example, favouring quiet encouragement and one-to-ones, especially with Lusophone and Spanish speakers. Team-mates describe him as calm, supportive and exemplary off the pitch, and those close to him say PSG and his high level have reshaped his self-perception without altering daily habits.

Source: L'Équipe