Au PSG since last August 9, Willian
Pacho gave an interview to the official website of the
Ligue 1. The opportunity for the 23-year-old Ecuadorian to discuss various subjects such as his arrival, his integration, his teammates or even the collective ambitions of the capital club.
The first weeks in Paris?
“I'm alone for the moment, my family won't be long. I like the city a lot, so far I have mainly gone out to restaurants or to visit. In my free time, I play a little on the console, I watch films… I also take French lessons.”
Did you grow up in a football family?
“In childhood, my family supported Ecuadorian clubs, without being the biggest football fanatics. My older brother played with his friends and he took me, I played against people who were 10 years older than me. That’s where I started to get excited.”
How did PSG convince him?
“I knew I had had a big season in Frankfurt and that there would be opportunities. My agents talked to me about the possibility of coming to Paris. I spoke with the Parisian management, I really liked the project. I told my family about it, but few people knew, we had to remain discreet. I thought of the people in Ecuador who support me a lot. I knew it would impress them. On the other hand, I knew that the Parisians knew me little, that my transfer was something they did not expect.”
Qualities and room for improvement?
“I’ve been playing well for some time. I make it a point to be consistent, consistency has always been my strong point and I intend to continue. I will work, learn, in order to achieve my dreams. I would like to improve in the offensive phase, during corners, to be able to score.”
The competition that arrives with the returns of Kimpembe and Hernandez?
“It makes me very happy that they are coming back, especially for “Kim” because I have been following him for a long time. He had difficult times, more than a year without playing. It's always positive to benefit from the qualities of teammates, it increases the general level. There is nothing better than a full complement to face all the challenges that await us.”
The pair formed with Marquinhos?
“I was looking forward to playing with him. It's a childhood dream, I've been seeing him play in the Champions League for a long time. I'm learning a lot from him, he's a very experienced player and a good person. From the first day, he taught me to free myself, to remain calm. We try to cover the spaces, we communicate a lot, it is very clear. I must follow his example.”
Luis Enrique's requests?
“I adapt to what he asks, he is very intelligent. His training helped me understand the game better, and my teammates also helped me a lot. Above all, it requires work. To play every day in training as we would play in a match. And then he asks us to pay attention to the way our future opponents play.”
Doubts about PSG in the Champions League
“I don’t like these criticisms, this negativity. But I don't take it into account. I'm sure we're going to have a great season. And they're saying that now but then they'll want to get on the train when we launch. We just have to focus on ourselves, being a family and forgetting the rest.”
In Ligue 1, on the other hand, everything is going well, is the championship too easy?
“Oh no, it’s really difficult. Above all, our opponents change the way they play when they face us. The players are very physical, fast. It’s very tactical, you have to always remain vigilant.”
A Ballon d’Or more open to defenders in the future?
“I asked myself the same question when Rodri won. I am sure that very quickly a defender will win the Ballon d'Or, because defense is a key sector which is constantly improving. I hope it will be a Parisian or someone I know to celebrate it with him! “.
