French football expert Julien Laurens once questioned what Marco Verratti could achieve if he had the same work ethic as Cristiano Ronaldo.
Laurens made the claim after Paris Saint-Germain's win over Manchester United in the Champions League back in 2019.
He revealed some fascinating details about the Italian's lavish lifestyle, which apparently includes smoking, drinking and partying.
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In fact, he claimed that the PSG star was out until 6am for Neymar's extravagant party in Paris in the lead up to his side's European fixture.
He said: "For me Verratti, because he was not fit, because he was not 100 per cent, because he's only played one game in the last month.
"Last week he was partying until 6am for Neymar's birthday, because he smokes, because he drinks because he's out almost every day of the week.
"I think if he had the lifestyle of Cristiano Ronaldo, for example, the work ethic of him, I don't know where he would be in terms of world-class midfielders.
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"But the ability he has combined with the lifestyle that he has at the moment and yet still being able to put out a performance like tonight is just incredible."
Verratti, who married French model girlfriend Jessica Aidi in 2021, has been open about his lifestyle down the years.
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"We play football, but sometimes people forget that we are also human beings. We get days off, we can go out with our friends, with family," he said in an interview with Le Parisien in 2019.
"What I hate is when people have unchangeable ideas of me. But honestly, I don’t really care. Everyone is free to think what they want. You can judge me on the things I do on the pitch, what I can bring to the team. But not off of it.
"I always hear that I am injured because of my lifestyle… when I injured my ankle (in January) that had nothing to do with it, a player takes my foot away. Things are said about me, said about others, that are truly rubbish."
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Verratti has been linked with a move to Saudi Pro League outfit Al Hilal and has reportedly agreed terms on a three-year deal.
Topics: Football, Marco Verratti, Paris Saint-Germain
Nasir Jabbar