It was a serene and smiling Willian Pacho who presented himself at a press conference this Tuesday on the eve of the very important PSG/Atlético in the Champions League. The Ecuadorian defender spoke of the hierarchy of goalkeepers, his admiration for Marquinhos and his room for improvement. Here are his full remarks, translated by us.
How do you perceive your situation in the Champions League within the group?
“It's a new Champions League format, there are things we don't know yet, but we're working with the team to do things as well as possible. We always try to do our best in Ligue 1 and the Champions League and to follow our idea of the game.”
You have played with both Safonov and Donnarumma. Who are you most comfortable with in the game and what is different about their profiles?
“Donnarumma and Safonov are both incredible goalkeepers”
“I feel very good with both, very peaceful. They are both incredible goalkeepers and since I got here, they are great goalkeepers. I know that whoever is lined up tomorrow will do the best. We always work in groups. It's always good that everyone is available to play at their best and that's what will happen tomorrow, regardless of the goalkeeper lined up. »
Will PSG play their qualification tomorrow knowing that behind them there will be Bayern Munich or even Manchester City?
“No, in reality we are moving forward step by step. Tomorrow is a big match, at home. We have to win the three points because it is very important. The goal is to win every game. We will see little by little what the results are for the qualification. »
What have you learned from Marquinhos this season?
“Marquinhos allows me to grow both as a player and as a person”
“Marquinhos is truly an incredible person on a daily basis. The way he trains, the way he experiences things, the way he talks to us, how he helps us, how he helps me personally… He's someone who gave me a lot of confidence when I started here in Paris. It's something that makes me very happy. The way he trains, the way he knows the profiles on the pitch, the way he covers the spaces, it's something that I learn from him every day and which allows me to grow both as a player and like no one. »
What will we need to improve to achieve a good result against a big European like Atlético?
“It will be a big match tomorrow. Above all, you will have to be very patient. We work a lot and we follow our idea of play. We have to have confidence in what the coach offers us. There is a work plan that we follow every week and we must of course now obtain a good result and these three points. »
How is your integration at PSG going?
“I always think positively in order to bring as much as possible to my team. I know that if I got here, it's because people believed in me. Every day, in every training, everything that is said to me helps me grow as a player and I know what I can bring to the team. All this confidence helps me grow a lot. »
Luis Enrique uses quite innovative and original training methods to break out of routine. Were there things that surprised you and do you have any examples?
“Luis Enrique always tries to say things in a positive way”
“There are things that I liked personally and that are new to me. For example, it’s the way he conveys things to you, the way he speaks to you. Positive things but also when there are things to improve. He always tries to say things in a positive way. He tells you how to be a good player. He is always there, he constantly talks to us about all these details. These are things as a player that I didn't see at first, but I realize that these details are crucial and so I try to improve every day. »
Your full-backs are very offensive. How do you manage it as a defender with Marquinhos and the midfielders?
“For every game there is a plan prepared to see if the full-backs will be more or less back and we always try to manage things in the best way. We know very well how we are going to play and we try to cover the spaces, cover the sides if necessary. »
How do you handle pressure personally and what do you say to each other within the group as a match like tomorrow approaches?
“We must always have confidence in our group, in our work”
“We work all week to stay calm. We had a very long week of work. We worked on trust. We must always have confidence in our group, in our work, in this team that we have and which is very good. Every day, we work to improve and win every match. These are things we are improving. For tomorrow's match, it will of course be very important, like all the others. Winning three points at home is very important and what helps us every day is our constant work. »
On a technical level, what are the areas where you think you have progressed? And what would you like to improve further?
“I would like to score goals from corners”
“I improved one-on-ones, especially playing cleanly, not making too many mistakes, always winning the ball back because obviously we are stronger when we have the ball. I still have this obsession with recovering as many balls as possible to help the team. I still have a lot of room for improvement and I am of course trying to learn from the great players I am with, including obviously Marquinhos, who has a lot of experience. I would also like to be more offensive, score goals from corners and I train every day for that. »
How did you analyze Atlético Madrid and how do you see the match?
“Atlético Madrid is a great club, one of the best in the world. They work well in La Liga and in the Champions League they won one match and lost the others. We saw the mistakes they make to take advantage of them, in relation to our game. I know we worked well as a group. We have to have confidence in what the coach tells us to be able to win three points tomorrow. »
We feel that you are mentally very strong, have you always had that in you?
“It’s true that where I come from, my life hasn’t always been easy. I had to face things in the best way and that way I learned to strengthen myself. And that helped me a lot to face the matches. I always try to improve, every day, every match. Tomorrow will be a crucial match and we have to do things as well as possible to win because I know it is important for the team. »
How do you experience competition in a position where there are many, notably Skriniar, Marquinhos, Kimpembe, Lucas Hernandez?
“I live it very peacefully. It's always very good that there are very good players at a club because it helps me improve as a person. When competition is healthy, there is no problem. The more great players there are, the more we help the team. It's not always the same starting lineup, but even from the bench when you're there, I know you always have to be ready to go on the pitch. »
We have the impression that PSG has two faces, one in Ligue 1 and another in the Champions League. Is this also an observation that you make and is there an explanation?
“I don’t think we have two faces”
“We play the Champions League from time to time, while Ligue 1 is every week. But no, I don't think we have two faces. We always have the same idea of the game. Unfortunately, there were not good results in certain matches, but these things happen. There are details to correct, but we always work in the same way, we always have the same idea, the same objective. For the moment, we don't have the expected results in the Champions League, but I'm sure that little by little we will get them. »
