Ruben Dias has said he hopes Paris Saint-Germain cannot win the Champions League for a third year in a row, ahead of their meeting with Manchester City on Wednesday night, which will be attended by former Blues boss Pep Guardiola.
Ruben Dias is set to lead Manchester City out against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.More Videos
Dias, 29, is Manchester City's captain and one of four players in Enzo Maresca's captaincy group for the 2026/27 season, alongside Marc Guehi, Erling Haaland and Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The Portugal international joined the club in 2020 and has been a constant in the defence through the managerial change from Pep Guardiola to Maresca.
Wednesday's fixture is the second Manchester City game of the Champions League group phase, with Paris Saint-Germain arriving at the Etihad Stadium as the reigning European champions. They are seeking a third consecutive title in the competition, which is the subject of the question put to Dias at his press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
City arrive on the back of a 3-0 win at Liverpool on Sunday, which kept them top of the Premier League and unbeaten in the league this season. That result came in the week after the club lodged an appeal against an independent commission's finding that they breached the Premier League's financial rules between 2009/10 and 2017/18.
You need to be very good to beat them, that's what we're aiming for: Dias talks threat posed by PSG
Asked whether PSG can win the Champions League for a third year in a row, Dias said: "Well, hopefully they cannot. They're obviously a great team and there's no way not to say it.
"I personally know a few players of them, I know how good they are, you can see the flexibility they have in each moment of the game.
"And obviously I feel like those Portuguese players that I know so well are also a reflex of the rest of the team. And you need to be very good to beat them! That's what we're aiming for."
The wider context of Dias's comments
Dias's reference to the Portuguese players at PSG relates to his own position in the Portugal national team, where he is a team-mate of several members of the French club's squad.
His remarks come in a week in which he has spoken to the media on more than one subject, having also addressed the criticism of City's celebrations at Anfield alongside Maresca.
The independent commission published its opinion on 29 September, finding the club guilty on 114 of 115 charges. City declared their innocence in response, stating they possess "a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence", and the sanctions phase will follow the appeal, with sources suggesting full resolution may not arrive until 2028 or 2029.
Alongside the appeal, a number of rival clubs are reported to be preparing civil compensation claims linked to the period covered by the charges. Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester United are among those reported, with the combined value of the claims put at around £800 million.
Maresca's side have been unbeaten in the Premier League this season, with five wins from five before the international break and a further win at Anfield. The Champions League brings a different level of opposition, with PSG among the strongest sides in Europe over the past two seasons.