Vitinha admitted that PSG once possessed "aliens," but modern football demands more than just attacking talent.
Vitinha is one of the rare players who has directly experienced two very different periods of Paris Saint-Germain.
Vitinha is one of the rare players who has directly experienced two very different eras of Paris Saint-Germain. He played alongside Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe, a trio considered one of the most expensive and talented attacking lines in Europe.
However, according to the Portuguese midfielder, playing alongside such superstars is not easy at all. In a recent interview, Vitinha frankly called the three aforementioned stars "aliens" of football.
"They sense things that we don't. The other players have to try to keep up with them," Vitinha said.
However, the midfielder born in 2000 also emphasized that individual talent doesn't always bring balance to the team. "That doesn't mean it's the best thing for the team," he admitted.
According to Vitinha, modern football has changed a lot. The intensity of play is increasing, and tactical systems require every position to participate in defense. In this context, having many attacking players who don't participate in pressing becomes a major problem.
"In modern football, it's difficult for one, two, or even three players not to run and not to contribute to the defense," Vitinha explained.
Messi once played for PSG.
The PSG midfielder's assessment partly reflects the tactical difficulties the Parisian club has faced when possessing multiple attacking stars simultaneously. Despite having some of the world's best players, PSG hasn't always found the necessary balance between attack and defense.
Vitinha also pointed out the noticeable change in PSG's current style, particularly in how the forwards participate in the pressing system. According to him, the attacking players now play a crucial role in initiating pressure on the opponent right from their own half of the pitch.
"The forwards are marking the opposing full-backs incredibly tightly," Vitinha said.
The Portuguese midfielder cited Ousmane Dembele and Gonçalo Ramos as examples. Both frequently press high up the pitch near the opponent's penalty area and are often the first to push forward to activate the team's pressing system.
This change reflects the philosophy of modern football, where the distance between the lines is narrowed and every player must participate in both attack and defense.
Vitinha's insights are therefore not just a story about a special period for PSG. They also show how top-level football is shifting: from reliance on exceptional individuals to a collective structure operating with high intensity and strict tactical discipline.