Van der Wiel in awe of PSG’s progress: « It’s really clicked »

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·15 September 2026

Van der Wiel in awe of PSG’s progress: « It’s really clicked »

Ten years after his departure, Grégory Van der Wiel, 38, a former Paris Saint-Germain right-back now retired, still looks back very fondly on his time in the French capital. 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 different 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 a strict 4-3-3, and then all of a sudden 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 will 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, leading the team deep into the Champions League on a regular basis, is fantastic. It was an honor to play alongside him.”

Van der Wiel’s memories take us back to the early years of PSG’s big project. Arriving in 2012, the Dutchman experienced a Paris side still in the middle of its transformation, with European ambitions growing just as quickly as the squad was getting stronger. His testimony also helps highlight Marquinhos’ remarkable journey, having arrived at just 19 in 2013 and 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 now rules Europe. What changed for them to finally break through that ceiling? “The evolution has been magnificent. We had an incredible team in my time, and the teams that followed with Neymar, Messi and Mbappé were exceptional too. But I think that recently, everything has really come together because the team is much more balanced. “There may be slightly 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 because Van der Wiel experienced the period when Paris was still searching for the right formula to turn an accumulation of talent into European dominance. PSG has since crossed that threshold, with back-to-back Champions League titles in 2025 and 2026. His view above all underlines a change in philosophy: less dependence on individuals, more complementarity, and a collective identity that is now clearly recognizable. An evolution that gives even more depth to the memories of those who took part in the early years of this build-up.

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