The former Sassuolo and Fiorentina player plays for the newly promoted team but always has an eye on our championship: “What goal did I score against Juve… The scudetto? Deal between Milan and Inter”
It is the first Paris derby in an official match since 17 December 1978. Then it ended 1-1, at the Parc des Princes where on Sunday, after 47 years, Paris Saint Germain, now owned by the Emir of Qatar, and Paris Football Club, in the hands of the Arnault billionaires for just over a year, will face each other again. A highly visible and ambitious challenge. “The truth, however – explains to the Gazzetta the captain of Paris FC, Maxime Lopez, former Sassuolo and Fiorentina player – is that today PSG is the strongest team in the world and we are newly promoted”.
A derby is special anyway.
“He always gives something extra. I’ve often seen it in the Italian derbies. We have to go onto the pitch hungry, because it doesn’t often happen that we play against the Ballon d’Or winner Dembélé or a Doué. But for many of us, however, this will be the first time too.”
Is there a bit of rivalry?
“Not yet, even though we have two stadiums only about twenty meters apart. For now it’s more of a derby for me as I’m from Marseille. But I hope that one day we’ll play for the title.”
What team is Paris FC?
“There is still a family dimension, with kids with the right mentality. We try to play good football like at Sassuolo when I arrived, where there were excellent players like Raspadori, Scamacca, the timeless Berardi. Sassuolo is rich, but the Pfc is richer and we are in Paris which attracts the spotlight more. Things here are destined to change.”
Did your former Serie A teammates call you to find out how it is in Paris?
“I feel with Laurienté, sometimes with Berardi and Mandragora, but in friendship.”
“Even though I’m from Marseille, I admit that I like watching them play. The Champions League final won 5-0 was incredible. I played against Inter, and I guarantee that it’s not that easy to beat them.”
In short, is there no hope for the Pfc?
“In first place in Ligue 1 is Lens, so if we play as a real team maybe we can do something. It’s the only way. Then we will need reinforcements in January, and I know they will arrive. The important thing now is to think about safety to build something ambitious from next summer, according to the Arnaults’ plans.”
It wasn’t easy to choose Paris FC, in Ligue 2, coming from Serie A.
“I needed to return to France and rediscover the pleasure of playing. Today I can say that I won my bet. And what’s more, my brother Julien is here. Without him I wouldn’t have come. We realized our and our father’s dream of playing together at the Velodrome in Marseille.”
De Zerbi is third with Marseille, maybe he’s rooting for you.
“He’s one of the best in the world. He wanted me at Sassuolo, then he tried to take me to Shakhtar, Brighton and even Marseille. He’s doing an excellent job with a phenomenon like Greenwood in attack. Before facing him in August (5-2), I told him that I knew exactly what he would say in the dressing room. We laughed about it.”
Do you follow your former Italian teams?
“Of course, I love Serie A and Italy where I spent four wonderful years. Sassuolo doesn’t surprise me. Grosso is a good coach, he wanted me to stay. I played little with Italiano but learned a lot. In Florence there is the same passion as Marseille: I’m sorry to see them last, but perhaps they changed too many players. I like Como. My only regret is not having played for a top team like Milan, Inter or Juventus.”
However, at Juventus he scored a significant goal in 2021.
“With the scavetto and we won in Turin (1-2): it’s the best memory. I celebrated with a trip to the CR7 because a fan wouldn’t stop insulting me. And I don’t forget the goals against Napoli, against Maradona.”
“It’s nice to see so much rivalry, but in my opinion it will be a derby between Allegri’s Milan, who have one more Modric in midfield, and Inter who remain a very strong team.”
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