Ever since Paris Saint-Germain crashed out in the UEFA Champions League in their Round of 16, there’s been plenty of questions asked about the future of the capital club project heading into next season.
Marquinhos, often seen as the best of the squad, has also been under fire as to whether he’s the right captain for the Ligue 1 side. The 27-year-old failed his test at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium when the team crumbled in the second half, conceding a hat-trick in 20 minutes, losing 3-2 on aggregate.
During a segment on France Bleu Paris (via Canal Supporters), French football pundit Julien Froment believes that Marquinhos should hand over his captain duties to another player on the squad.
“Marquinhos is unrecognizable for a few weeks, culminating in his match against Real Madrid. A cataclysmic individual performance. Since his arrival in 2013, I don’t remember seeing him in so much difficulty in a match, and above all, he didn’t know how to respond as captain,” Fremont said.
“He tried to arrange his partners, to remobilize them, without effect. Last Sunday, in Monaco, Marqui tried to sound the revolt, but an angel passed on the lawn of the Stade Louis II with the non-match of PSG. Being a captain has become a priesthood for Marquinhos.”
Furthermore, Froment wants forward Kylian Mbappé to wear the captain’s armband for the French giants. He cites how the 23-year-old spoke to the media following PSG’s latest defeat last weekend to AS Monaco when they fell 3-0.
“The obvious is Kylian Mbappé. He leads by example on and off the pitch. He is only 23 years old but is asserting himself day to day as a leader in the locker room,” Froment said.
Another surprising candidate that could wear the captaincy is Danilo Pereira. The pundit states the way the midfielder can command himself out on the pitch to players like Lionel Messi is an example that he won’t play nice.
“The other candidate, which may seem surprising, is… Danilo Pereira. And yes, good old Danilo. Irreproachable on the pitch in all circumstances, he is a fake nice, able to pass a mouthful on Messi during PSG Real at the Parc des Princes,” Froment said.
“He puts the squad above everything else, he does not belong to any clan, he is appreciated by all… In addition, the captaincy he knows what it is since he successfully wore the armband at FC Porto.”