Eight years he had rested there, coiled around this biceps from which he only moved away on rare occasions.
An eternity that had almost fossilized it at its base, metamorphosed into a second skin.
But times are changing and so are bosses.
For the first time since November 2012, the PSG captain's armband is no longer the property of Thiago Silva.
After 310 matches in the Parisian jersey, including 293 the arm circled with the chef's distinction, O'Capitao was asked to look elsewhere.
PSG will not have needed to organize thirty meetings to find his successor.
On paper, however, several players had the profile.
But in reality, there is no suspense.
At 26 years old, including 7 spent scrapping for Paname, Marquinhos seems obvious.
A natural and relentless choice for Christophe Jallet, last holder of the armband at PSG before the long reign of Thiago Silva.
"Nobody deserves it more than Marquinhos," assures the consultant of the Téléfoot channel.
The armband is not his right because he would have been promised, but it fits into the logic of things.
Marqui has the perfect profile for the job.
It is legitimate in its performance, is a driving force for the group.
The best captain is the one who commands respect without having to say a word.
He has that, this rage to win, this desire to fight for his own which makes others want to strip themselves for him.
In verb, he may not have the charisma of a Zlatan, for example.
But it is in the acts and the implication and that is worth all the rest!
"
Color fidelity
Arrived from Roma in 2013 in exchange for 31 million euros, the Brazilian is also legitimized by his loyalty to the colors.
After Verratti, recruited a year earlier, he is the oldest Parisian in the workforce.
Since his two-season extension signed in January, he is now linked to the club until 2024. A longevity which, according to Jallet, gives him the experience and will have it necessary "to get wet or go to fire for his partners in the face to the coach, to the referees and to the media.
"
A course that also allows him to be dubbed by the stands of the Parc des Princes.
“The public, of course, adores the beautiful gestures and the spectacle, continues Jallet, but he also likes the warriors, those who wet the jersey and mark the history of the club.
"It is also no coincidence that the club had chosen a tifo in his image to unveil the white jersey of the last season.
Relive the unveiling of this third jersey, with this Tifo with the image of our @ marquinhos_m5 🤩
🔴🔵 #ICICESTPARIS pic.twitter.com/qmKR3KZ09U
- Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) September 14, 2019
Mbappé, potential candidate
Even if it means changing, Paris could have taken advantage of the windfall to “promote” Neymar and entrust him with the responsibilities that it has long assumed with Brazil.
But as we saw again during the clasico, the star is far from displaying the guarantees of exemplarity requested by the function.
“And with all the faults he suffers, Neymar is already sufficiently involved in conflicts with referees and opponents not to add to it, Jallet analyzes.
It wouldn't be doing him a favor to give him the armband.
And then he has enough weight in the locker room, he does not need the armband to unite.
"
PSG Express
The essential newsletter for Parisian supporters
I'm registering
Your email address is collected by Le Parisien to enable you to receive our news and commercial offers.
Learn more
Remarks that also apply to Kylian Mbappé.
The world champion, who has never hidden his thirst for responsibility, could be a potential candidate for captaincy.
Even more if entrusting him with the role of leader allowed the Parisian leaders to convince him to (finally) extend his contract.
"But he is already in so much demand elsewhere, he is already making so much effort against those who seek to weaken him on a field, that it would be a mistake to load him with other responsibilities," Jallet concludes.
Kylian is one of the best in the world, he doesn't need that to be heard.
"
