Marquinhos says that Paris Saint-Germain has used “experience and scars” to help them grow and ultimately achieve their place in the Champions League final of this season.
PSG returns to the showpiece in the European Premier Club competition – five years after they had second place to Bayern Munich in Lisbon – after beating Arsenal 3-1 in the last four.
The side of Luis Enrique, who was defeated by Borussia Dortmund in the semi-final of last year, plays Inter in their fourth major European showpiece, which was also shown in the Cup Winners' Cup Finals from 1996 and 1997 and the 2020 Champions League final.
Marquinhos was part of the side of Thomas Tuchel who is just short of Estadio do Luz in 2020, and will try to take the extra step and get the trophy in his hands half a decade later.
The defender believes that experience, as well as the Dortmund defeat 12 months ago, helped him and his teammates to grow and will serve them well because they want to finish to finally land the prize that has arisen notoriously.
To the last one! #Psgars i #ucl pic.twitter.com/d3f0pt8ty7
-Paris Saint-Germain (@psg_englait) 7 May 2025
“We work step by step,” he told Canal+. “We started competition with the ambition to go far. We are in the final.
“I have already lost a final. I know how painful it is. I am going to try to pass on this experience to my teammates. Nothing changes, we continue to work in the same way to feel strong and confident.
“The coach took it step by step to improve this team. He arrived, he saw that there were many things to change, there was a mentality to put on. It doesn't happen from one day to the next, he worked little by little.
“There were competitions that also unlock our self -confidence [against] Manchester City [and] Liverpool. It confirmed the work.
“Experience and scars make you grow. I have had experiences with which I can get the most to stand on the field when the team is walking defensively.
“I talk about it with the younger players. We have to work hard to get here to have this mentality, this DNA.
“Last year we sometimes worked well and we had opportunities, but we could not convert them. This year the results show that we are on the right track.”