Renato Paiva’s interview exposes the absurdity of PSG defender Willian Pacho’s UEFA snubs

PSG defender Willian Pacho has yet again delivered a strong season playing from the back, producing statement defensive displays while being a first-choice partner to veteran Marquinhos.

The Ecuadorian international signed for PSG on a €40 million permanent transfer deal from Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer of 2024. Since then, he has rarely misstepped on the biggest of stages. Apart from the late reaction to Kai Havertz’s opener in the Champions League final, Pacho’s defensive solidity has stayed largely indomitable throughout the long, hard campaign.

Pacho has found himself featured in Ligue 1’s Team of the Season 2025-26, and he was further complimented by his head coach, Luis Enrique, who took a cautious approach in his comments for the 24-year-old in mid-October. Enrique remarked that “to analyze, we have to wait until the end of the season,” while saying that he had “only positive things to say.”

Despite a stellar season with PSG, Pacho has again been overlooked this season by the UEFA Champions League Team of the Season’s voting panel, who have opted for a defensive duo of Arsenal’s Gabriel and Marquinhos for the 2025-26 edition. He was out of the last year’s version, and also missed the Ballon d’Or Top 30 rankings.

Speaking to the press (via Foot Mercato), Pacho’s former manager at his boyhood club, Independiente del Valle, Renato Paiva, revealed how the defender always took time to find recognition. He said: “Willian Pacho wasn’t playing. He wasn’t one of the players who played under Miguel Angel Ramírez, the coach I replaced.”

After about two weeks, I started to see that Willian had unusual qualities for a central defender. Standing at nearly 1.90m, he was very agile and very quick. His ball control was fantastic, and he was good at making decisions. He suited my style of play well, where we build from the back with the goalkeeper and defenders,” remarked Paiva, who reinforced his belief in Pacho.