A personal crisis tested PSG's captain before kickoff. While on-field challenges mounted, a profound family struggle shadowed his return.
Back in Luis Enrique's starting lineup Wednesday evening for PSG vs. Chelsea, after two weeks without playing, Marquinhos had a complicated evening. But his pre-match was equally so, for personal reasons, his partner mentioned on social media.
Left on the bench against Le Havre and then Monaco in Ligue 1, Marquinhos was back in PSG's starting lineup Wednesday evening against Chelsea, two weeks after his last match against Monaco in the Champions League playoff second leg. PSG's Brazilian captain had a difficult match against Pedro Neto, who was much faster and notably left him behind on the 2-2 goal.
On March 2, Marquinhos became a father for the fourth time, and his partner shared the good news on social media before, eight days later, publishing a poignant message that left little doubt about the difficult first days of little Filippo.
"There are moments in life that mark us forever. These last few days have been intense, filled with emotions, tears, silence, prayers... and lots of love. Moments whose magnitude of what one feels in their heart can only be understood by those who live them," Carol Cabrino wrote on Instagram, captioning a photo gallery of her family and her newborn at the hospital. "From one day to the next, we learned once again what dedication, hope, and trust are, even when everything seems uncertain. Today, we are home. Heart filled with gratitude. I hope to be able to explain everything to you soon."
"Days rich in emotions, in faith and in learning, our Pippo arrived to remind us how precious our children are in our lives. I love you so much, my love, you are incredible," Marquinhos replied to her on the social network. In its traditional behind-the-scenes article on the PSG vs. Chelsea clash, RMC Sport confirms that Marquinhos had a personal issue before the match and was unable to attend all training sessions. "The management and staff helped him through this delicate moment," the radio station added.
We hope that the coming days will be gentler for Marquinhos and his family, and that they will have good news to celebrate next Tuesday.
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