“He speaks and really helps you on the pitch” – Fabian Ruiz says it’s easy to play with ‘great player’ at PSG

Ruiz lauds PSG teammate Verratti
Ruiz lauds PSG teammate Verratti

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) midfielder Fabian Ruiz has claimed that playing with teammate Marco Verratti at the Parc des Princes is easy.

Ruiz arrived at PSG from Napoli this past summer for £20.7 million and has made nine appearances in all competitions.

He has linked up with Verratti in Christophe Galtier's midfield and has talked up not only the Italian's talents but also his characteristics.

Speaking at PSG's pre-match presser ahead of their clash with Maccabi Haifa on 25 October, he said (via RMCSport):

"He's a player everyone knows, he's a great player and also a good person. I speak Italian so he asked me how to help. It's easy to play with Marco because he speaks and really helps you on the pitch. I'm happy to play with good players and Marco Verratti is one of them."

Verratti has been at the Parc des Princes for ten seasons, having joined from Italian side Pescara back in 2012 for £10.8 million.

He has made 394 appearances across competitions to date, scoring 11 goals and creating 61 assists.

The Italian has been a staple in PSG's midfield, winning the Ligue 1 title eight times alongside the Coupe de France on six occasions.

The UEFA Champions League is a trophy that evades both Verratti and Ruiz and a win against Haifa will confirm their qualification to the knockout stages.

They currently sit joint-top of Group H with Benfica on eight points, with Juventus third on three points.


Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is a huge fan of PSG midfielder Verratti

Guardiola is an admirer of the Italian
Guardiola is an admirer of the Italian

Verratti has also been lauded by City manager Guardiola in the past, who has called him an exceptional talent.

The Spanish tactician heaped praise on the Italian midfielder when PSG played the Cityzens last season in the Champions League, saying:

"I'm in love with him. He is exceptional. Even under pressure, he manages to find those passes that allow the midfield to be free."

Verratti was on the winning side in a 2-0 victory over City and he certainly impressed.

He made 45 passes, boasting a passing accuracy of 93.3% and had 67 touches of the ball.

The Italian is a similar profile of midfielder to that of which Guardiola likes his side's to posses.

He is calm on the ball, can break lines with tremendous ball-playing attributes and is a nuisance defensively.

Interestingly, City were linked with a move for Verratti in the summer as speculation grew over the future of Bernardo Silva.

Reports claimed that a transfer-triangle between the Parisians, City and Barcelona was being conjured up over the potential moves of Verratti, Silva and Frenkie de Jong.

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