from teenager to captain, Marquinhos seen by his former teammates

The Brazilian defender became the player to have played the most matches in the colors of Paris Saint-Germain, tied with Jean-Marc Pilorget, with 435 matches. A record hailed by three of his former teammates at the club. For franceinfo, Papus Camara, Lucas Moura and Tilo Kehrer look back on “their” Marquinhos.

It was July 19, 2013. Marcos Aoás Corrêa signed a five-season contract for Paris Saint-Germain, from AS Roma, for the tidy sum, at the time, of 33 million euros. “I was 19, I arrived very young“, remembers Marquinhos, for franceinfo. Papus Camara, current coach of PSG’s under-19s, also remembers “Marqui’s” first steps very well. “He was a teenager, recalls, hilariously, Camara to franceinfo. “He already had a few matches in Serie A with AS Roma, but… curly hair, braces, a teenager what (laughs).”

A teenager who knew how to find a place in a bloated squad. “There were still a lot of central defenders at the time (smiles). Mamadou Sakho, Alex, Thiago Silva, myself, David Luiz arrives afterwards. It was crowded“, remembers Papus Camara. “But when you’re PSG, it’s normal. He made his mark little by little, I passed the torch a little but his integration happened naturally, it became obvious. He matured, he was sharp, he also earned his place in Selecao.“

“Champion my brother”

Marquinhos quickly makes his mark, but it is the signing of a character that brings him into the hearts of Parisians: Lucas Moura. The duo delights the supporters. “It is my brother (smiles)”, confides to franceinfo the 31-year-old winger who now plays in Sao Paulo. And inevitably, it’s a sentence, thrown in front of the club’s cameras, which best symbolizes their friendship:

“The champion my brother, it had a big impact (laughs), I always get lots of feedback on social networks, but it was very natural, after the 2013 title. In the locker room, I said that on a video by Mamadou Sakho. Everyone says it now, I’m very happy, it’s a brand (laughs)“, Lucas now laughs.

Marquinhos, the teenager who has become essential

Like all young defenders, Marquinhos first played in a position that was not necessarily his. “He is part of this generation where when you are a defender and you are a little young, we put you a little on the side, we make you play full-back”, remembers Papus Camara perfectly, not at all surprised by the trajectory of the Brazilian international.

“He already had his current characteristics, he goes very fast, he is mobile, but he had to be patient, make his hole. He performed well first on the right before settling definitively in the axis He arrived in a fairly discreet way because he is a reserved person, who doesn’t make waves, and then little by little over time he gained the respect of both the locker room and the people who work at the club. , to settle in at the club like a captain.”

Papus Camara on Marquinhos

at franceinfo

Thilo Kehrer played with Marquinhos between 2018 and 2022. Currently at AS Monaco, he is full of praise for the qualities of his former teammate. “He is a very complete defender, plus he can play defensive midfielder, he has a lot of quality“, judges the German for franceinfo. “He is dynamic, fast, jumps high, scores with his head, defends very well one against one“. And to specify the area where Marqui impresses the most: “Perhaps his best quality is his support, how he defends, the positioning of his feet, how he reads the match.“

Marquinhos, the man, is unanimous

The Paris Saint-Germain captain unites both on and off the field. “Humanly, it’s great“, appreciates Papus Camara. “Before even talking about the footballer. If you ask club employees, not many people will speak ill of him because he is respectful. From the institution, from the people who work around the team. These are important values ​​for being a captain.“

Lucas Moura is also very well placed to talk about his “brother” Marqui.

“What I keep as memories are especially those off the field. The friendship we created was magnificent, he was always at my house, I was always at his house, lots of barbecues , it’s my best memory with him. I miss him a lot, he’s an incredible guy.”

Lucas Moura

at franceinfo

The number 5 of PSG also played an important role in the integration of new recruits, and in particular that of Thilo Kehrer. “When I arrived, from the first day he helped me, he gave me advice, I was 21, he was 19 when he arrived, he knew a little about the situation, the things I have lived. He showed he was there for months if I needed him.“Kehrer even believes that Marquinhos”was more than a teammate, he was a friend“, adding: “Plus we didn’t live very far away, sometimes I came home with him after a match or training, which I really appreciate. We are no longer in contact much, but if we meet again it will be with great pleasure because our relationship was very close.“

Tie the match record held by Jean-Marc Pilorget, “it is, somewhere, a pride to have been able to evolve alongside him, to have also worked with him afterwards“, explains Camara. “It’s an incredible brand, it fully deserves it, I’m happy to be a little part of this story“, exclaims Lucas Moura. And Kehrer concludes: “He is a very great player, a very great achievement to play for so long in a big club, to make history, to not only play but to embody the club, to be respected and to be recognized not only not PSG supporters but also in France… It’s something very, very strong.“