Marco Verratti is a name that was synonymous with Paris Saint-Germain for the better part of the past decade, until the midfielder made the decision to move to Qatar.
The Italian, who currently plies his trade with Al Duhail, recently spoke to MARCA, talking about his former teammate and Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe.
He also talked about his experience of facing Los Blancos at the Santiago Bernabeu, among other things.
Verratti on Real Madrid, Mbappe, and the Santiago Bernabeu
Verratti was asked why he thought PSG managed to win the Champions League without Mbappe, after so many failed attempts with him on the team. The midfielder, though, defended his former teammate.
“It’s unfair to see it that way,” he said. “With Kylian, we reached the semi-finals and the final, but we didn’t win it. Then there’s Real Madrid, who, with fantastic players, won it many times.”
“Anyway, I don’t think PSG won it because Kylian left. Mbappe has helped the club grow a lot. The year he left, he scored nearly 50 goals, for example,” he added.
Regarding Mbappe’s adjustment and current blistering form at Real Madrid, Verratti had only praises for his former teammate.
“He had to adapt, but he scored a lot of goals and won the Pichichi and the Golden Boot,” he said. “And this year he’s showing he could do even better. There’s no one else like him in the world right now.”
Marco Verratti, former PSG midfielder
Verratti played together with Mbappe at PSG for multiple years. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Verratti went on to talk about Real Madrid, having faced Los Blancos multiple times during the course of his career. He was notably asked why Real Madrid are so difficult to play against.
“It’s hard to explain. Just when you thought they were down, they’d bounce back. A team that, even without 30% possession, would still kill you. Other teams need the ball to win. Real Madrid didn’t,” he replied.
Elaborating on the team’s ruthless efficiency, Verratti added, “Madrid was very pragmatic. They’d play well for 10 minutes and score three goals, while you’d only manage one, even after playing well for 80.
“A team that knew how to suffer and knew victory would come, and they were sure to come back.”
Finally, the Italian talked about the ‘aura’ of Real Madrid’s home stadium, the Santiago Bernabeu.
“It’s a big and beautiful stadium. Just when you thought Real Madrid was dead, they’d come back to life. It didn’t take much for them to resurrect themselves, and they’ve proven it not just once, but several times,” he concluded.