Tigers, 20 Jan (20 January) Before Paris Saint-Germain's home match for Reims at home in Ligue 1 this weekend, Di Maria was interviewed by the official Paris Saint-Germain television station to talk about the team's performance in the first half of the season.
How do you feel? You were absent for a while due to COVID-19 and have just returned to work
"Well, I'm fine, thank God, I didn't have any symptoms, I just quarantined at home for a few days and then I was able to get back to training. It's normal, I think the last time I played the whole game was on December 22nd, and slowly I felt better and my pace got better, which is important. ”
Paris have a big lead in Ligue 1 at the end of 2021, after a disappointing loss last season, does that matter to you?
"I think we started the season very strongly and we are once again eager to win everything and that's the important thing. But I also think Ligue 1 has grown a lot and has gradually improved. All the teams will give great games, not just us, so I don't think it's easy to play in Ligue 1. Criticism is normal in football, but we just have to think about ourselves, work well every day, invest 100% and make sure we're always at our best. ”
As you said, how do new players slowly integrate into the team in order to reach the best level?
"When a player has a whole new season, I think it's hard to adapt right away and it's hard to build a perfect team all at once. It's not easy, even the best players in the world, you have to create that connection when you don't know the opponent yet. But if you try to stitch these pieces together, things will work out. It's important to win, to win. It also gives us the confidence to continue working and strive to get everyone moving towards one goal. ”
You and Messi play together in the Argentine national team and are familiar with each other as an advantage, or do you need to work together in a new team and continue to grind?
"I think it's a good thing to be in touch with Messi because I know him because I know where he usually positions himself, where he's going to ask for the ball, where he usually scores or where he wins the ball in a confrontation."
"In addition to that, it's clear that when you're playing at the club, from Mbappe to Verratti, the other players have different running positions and styles, and it also makes Messi's own moves different. I think it's part of everything, little by little, every part is going to grind together and get better and better, just like the rest of the team. ”
Is it also important to help the team's new signings integrate off the pitch?
"From the day I came to the team, it felt like I was at home, like I had been here for the rest of my life. I adapted very quickly and very well. Because I had teammates like Pastore, Ibrahimovic, Verratti, Maxville and Thiago Motta, they made it easy for me to integrate into the team from the start. Their wives also welcomed my wife and, frankly, everything was much simpler for me. So when Paredes comes to Paris, or messi comes to Paris more recently, we in turn try to help them, give them advice, make sure they adapt to the team as soon as possible. I think the most important thing is to make the new players feel comfortable from day one. ”