Football
Mark Rodden 8y

PSG like Barcelona '06 Champions League winners - Thiago Motta

Thiago Motta believes the current Paris Saint-Germain side is comparable to the Barcelona team he played for that beat Arsenal to win the Champions League in 2006.

Motta, 33, is hoping to become European champion for a third different club after his success with Barcelona nine years ago and with Inter Milan in 2010.

The Italy midfielder, who signed a contract extension in the summer, says the French champions are not far away from being the best team for which he has ever played.

"Barca in 2006 were a very good team because we had good players and one of them was incredible -- Ronaldinho," Motta told L'Equipe.

"He was at the level of [Lionel] Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.

"Here in Paris I think that in every position on the pitch we have a bit more quality than the Barca team of 2006 but, in my opinion, we don't have a player like Ronaldinho.

"That's why everyone has to do a little bit more. And that's why, I repeat, individuals have to think of the group first."

PSG, who face Malmo in Sweden on Wednesday, look set to finish second in their Champions League group.

Motta believes that their 1-0 defeat away to Real Madrid shows that they are close to being among the very best teams in the Champions League.

But he admitted that it also proved that Laurent Blanc's side are still lacking "something."

He said: "If I knew [what that was] it would be easier to change.

"In Madrid, we were very good in the first half but we didn't win. So we can't be happy.

"We have to find solutions so that we're able to win the next time we play such a team."

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