Paris Saint-Germain captain Marquinhos has issued a confident response when asked if his team is ready to face Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League final, insisting they have already proven their credentials. The French giants have overcome Chelsea, Liverpool, and Bayern Munich en route to the showdown with Mikel Arteta's side in Budapest.
Marquinhos: We Have Proven Ourselves
Brazil defender Marquinhos stated that the quality of opposition they have faced demonstrates their ability to cope with Arsenal. He said: "We look at our team and the teams we've come up against at Liverpool, Bayern Munich, and Chelsea. We've played all these teams since the start of the season. We've come up against different teams who have given us a run for our money at different moments in certain games, and we've shown that we don't let that beat us."
He added: "We've always been ready to deal with it. You don't know what you are going to come up against in a final, but we will be well prepared."
Hunger for History
Marquinhos also emphasised the team's motivation to retain the Champions League title and cement their legacy as one of the great teams. "It's a source of motivation for us. We have already gone down in history books as one of the best teams in the world. We showed exactly what a good team we are, and now we're coming into a second Champions League final, and the motivation is even higher," he explained.
He acknowledged Arsenal's quality, saying: "Arsenal are a very good team, and the job Arteta has done has been brilliant because it is so hard to win the Premier League. But we are highly motivated and just as hungry as players to win again."
Dembele: Fully Fit and Ready
Talisman Ousmane Dembele insisted PSG had a "reset" after last year's success and remain hungry for more. "We always want to be playing a Champions League final at the end of May. We did it last year for the first time, and we were all on cloud nine. It was a historical moment for everyone, but we've reset everything, and we want to win trophies again," he said.
Dembele, who has been a fitness concern, confirmed he is ready: "I am 100 per cent ready. I did have a little problem, but we are ready now because I had ten or 15 days to prepare and get myself in great shape again." He added: "We are a young squad, highly ambitious, and we're not going to sit on our laurels. It would be something historical, and it would be so important. We're in it to win it again, and we believe that we can do it again. We are ready for the game and another challenge."
