January 3, 2024. This date will perhaps have seen the emergence of a future great defender. Paris Saint-Germain faced Toulouse FC on Wednesday evening at the Parc des Princes as part of the 2023 Champions Trophy, postponed several times and played exceptionally at mid-season. Thanks to goals from Lee Kang-in and Kylian Mbappé, the Parisians pocketed their 12th champions trophy in their history with this solid victory (2-0) against the Violets. This meeting was also an opportunity to witness Lucas Beraldo’s first minutes in the PSG jersey. A total of 19 minutes which blew up the wings of the Parc des Princes. Summoned by Luis Enrique, the day after his formalization, all external and internal observers at Paris Saint-Germain hoped to see the Brazilian at work.
“He is a very young player who will strengthen the defense, who can play both as a full-back and in central defense. The hope of bringing back talent and players of the future. He is a very intelligent player when defending and has great ability in handling the ball (…) There is a very important component, which is that we want the players to have the mentality of a fighter, of a professional , who take care of their daily lives and Lucas Beraldo ticks all the boxes. He is a very interesting player for the future. He is a left-handed defender who knows how to do everything with a ball. He’s a player with a future.”had confided Luis Enrique, at the microphone of PSG TV, before appearing at a press conference on Tuesday. And these fine comments from the Spanish coach were concretely put to work this Wednesday evening against Toulouse.
A more than convincing first!
Indeed, the former coach of La Roja decided to throw Lucas Beraldo into the mix from his first call-up. He returned in place of Milan Skriniar, affected after contact with Vincent Sierro. And Luis Enrique was convinced by Beraldo’s 19 minutes: “Personality, quality with and without the ball… He’s a great player! I saw him in training twice, we had good information on him. He did very well tonight. It was time to play him.”, rejoiced his coach at a press conference after the victory. But his teammates are also full of praise for the now former São Paulo player, notably Ousmane Dembélé who responded to French Football Weekly in the mixed zone about the 20-year-old Brazilian’s first days in the group. The integration of Lucas Beraldo seems to be going perfectly, largely thanks to the Portuguese speakers of PSG like Marquinhos, Danilo Pereira, Gonçalo Ramos, Vitinha…: “GOOD ! He quickly integrated into the team thanks to the many Portuguese and Brazilian players like Marqui. It helped him. He started well and is integrating little by little.said the former FC Barcelona player.
What does the main person think of his first under the Parisian colors? Questioned by the official PSG website, the native of Piracicaba had difficulty hiding his joy after the applause and cheers he received from the Parc des Princes: “I am very happy. I couldn’t even imagine playing a match today. I didn’t know if I was going to be summoned or not. And God gave me the opportunity to play and have a title in my first match, I don’t think there’s a way to explain that feeling. The fans were screaming every time I touched the ball. I can only thank them. Then, as I already said in an interview, I had already been here in 2009, I had seen a match from the stands and today, I can play with all my idols on the pitch. there is nothing else to say. I can’t be grateful enough for that, you just have to enjoy it.”. Ovationed throughout the match, the 20-year-old Brazilian even made a solid, rough save in the first defensive sequence. Well guided by Marquinhos, Lucas Beraldo impressed his teammates and his coach, while making the Parisian stadium and its thousands of supporters explode.
