Football
Jonathan Johnson, PSG correspondent 7y

Marco Verratti wants to stay at Paris Saint-Germain, win Champions League

Marco Verratti has no plans to leave Paris Saint-Germain anytime soon and wants to win the Champions League with the French club before any potential exit.

Verratti, 23, who will be in action with the Ligue 1 champions against Basel at the Parc des Princes in the Champions League on Wednesday, joined the side from Pescara in 2012.

The Italy international told Le Figaro he feels "good at this club and in this city" and that it is a "great pleasure to stay here for a long time," but acknowledged it is "not only up to me."

"Generally, I think of leaving when I do not feel good at a club," Verratti added. "I am part of a project, which began just before I arrived. I really want to win the Champions League with this club before leaving. That is my challenge and I am stubborn with these things."

PSG's Champions League runs have ended at the quarterfinal stage for the past four seasons and Verratti knows the club "need to succeed in getting past this stage."

However, the midfielder also recognised the likes of Bayern Munich and Barcelona are "stronger favourites" than Unai Emery's men.

"Yes, we want to go further than we did last year," Verratti said of PSG's Champions League hopes. "However, we know this will be difficult.

"We have ended up in the quarterfinals in each of the past four editions and we are working hard to do better than that this year. This includes a very important match against Basel this week."

After the departure of Zlatan Ibrahimovic over the summer and with Emery replacing Laurent Blanc as coach, many view PSG as a weaker team this season.

However, Verratti feels other key figures have now stepped up and he reserved special praise for in-form striker Edinson Cavani.

"Great players like Ibra have left but they have been replaced," Verratti said. "I am particularly thinking of Cavani, who has found his place. In previous years, he was not playing in his true position. He is a player who scores goal after goal. We can count on him.

"I do not think there is another attacker who creates as many chances as he does in matches. You do not always see it but he runs a lot and makes huge efforts for the team."

Verratti is a key player for PSG once again after overcoming a persistent groin problem, one which derailed him last season and ended his Euro 2016 hopes.

The former Pescara man no longer feels "dead" after matches and is delighted to be playing regularly again.

"For the first time in a long time, I feel really good," Verratti said. "For a player, the most important thing is to feel 100 percent well, physically and mentally. Last season, that was never the case for me."

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