Arsène Wenger never won the UEFA Champions League but he thinks Paris Saint-Germain is one of the few teams who could win the tournament this season.
In an interview with beIN Sports and reported by Paris Fans, the former Arsenal FC manager opened up about PSG, Thomas Tuchel, and the midfield trio of Marquinhos, Idrissa Gueye, and Marco Verratti.
“There are three, four teams that can win this Champions League, PSG is one of them,” Wenger said.
In regards to PSG’s current manager, Wenger once again had nothing but positive things to say.
“The real turning point of last year was the match against Manchester,” Wenger said. “When you are in this situation and the main objective is off, it is very difficult to revive the flame.”
Wenger went on to say that he understands that Tuchel suffered at the end of last season but that he has come back to the team motivated.
“The team is on track,” Wenger said. The victory against Real Madrid was a turning point for him. I like him a lot, I like his character, his honesty.”
Wenger wasn’t all positive when talking about the team he is often rumored to be heading to as reported by The Guardian and other outlets. The Frenchman was “not convinced” from what he saw from PSG’s starting midfield of Marquinhos, Verratti, and Gueye against Real Madrid and thought they benefited from Madrid’s weakness in the middle of the pitch.
Wenger knows football but most PSG supporters would probably push back on his midfield criticism. Against Real Madrid and Galatasaray S.K. combined, PSG has let in a whopping zero goals and two shots on target. It’s a total team effort but the midfield players deserve a lot of credit for controlling the pace of the game, launching attacks, and standing strong on defense when necessary.
Wenger knows a good team when he sees one though. He went undefeated in the 2003-04 season with Arsenal and reached the Champions League final in 2006 where he faced FC Barcelona in Paris of all places. He struggled late in his career but he knows talent and it’s certainly encouraging to hear a manager of his stature say your club is one of a few clubs who can win the Champions League.
Want more PSG? Visit the PSG Talk Podcast Network page and subscribe to PSG Talking, The 1970, and 24th & Parc.
