Vitinha confessed that it was “strange” to see his name in third place in the Ballon d’Or – behind Dembelé and Yamal -, thus being considered the third best football player in the world last season. “If they told me, when I was 12 years old – “at 25 years old, you will be third in the Ballon d’Or” -, that would have been incredibly important”confessed the PSG Portuguese.
“But now, when you are experiencing things, when you see the journey, everything happens a little naturally. You live the moment with less excitement than before. Over time, when you become aware of it with your family and friends, being third in the Ballon d’Or is fantastic, it’s a dream”, said the midfielder, highlighting that this also brings responsibilities.
But, even knowing that “it’s not easy to perform well every year” and that “there is a lot of competition and enormous competitiveness”, Vitinha promises to do everything to keep me at that level: “I’m in the perfect place to achieve that. PSG is the current European champion and I’m going to try to do the same season, and, if possible, even better.”
Defender of the principle “eat well and sleep well”, the Portuguese revealed some secrets of good physical and mental fitness. “I try to do everything that the professionals have available at the PSG training center. I always try to do recovery exercises, cold baths, recovery boots, thalassotherapy. There are many things you can do and they don’t cost anything”, he said in an interview with Ici Paris website.
Vitinha also explained that, personally, he also invests. “I have a physiotherapist and a chef at home. It’s important to invest in this area. It’s a big mistake not to invest even a little in your performance. If you have money, and everyone knows that players earn a lot, it’s foolish not to invest in your profession and in what you do”revealed the Portuguese international, revealing that his chef “is in direct contact with the PSG nutritionist”.
The midfielder isn’t just about the physical: “You’re never immune to injuries or tiredness, but when you do all that, even mentally you’re better, more available.”
PSG with record revenue
In 2024/25, PSG recorded 837 million euros in revenue, a value that exceeds the previous season’s results by 31 million and multiplies its turnover by nine, since the club was purchased by Qatar Sports Investmentsem 2011.
Winning the Champions League, as well as participating in the Club World Cup final and the drastic reduction in the wage bill, with the departure of players like Neymar, Messi and Mbappé, contributed to the financial health of the Parisian emblem. And, despite the departure of the biggest stars, t-shirt sales increased by 210%.
The club will now ask for the surveillance imposed by UEFA to be lifted in 2022, due to violation of club rules. fair play financial, since expenses related to the team are below 70% of revenue, thus fulfilling the obligations imposed by the European organization.
isaura.almeida@dn.pt