Marco Verratti, Getty Images November 13, 2025, 5:02 p.m

During his professional career, the Italian central midfielder of Ad Duhail of Qatar, Marco Verratti, was distinguished by the fact that he played in his homeland as part of the “adult” team of Pescara for only four years, after which his 11-year history in the French side of Paris Saint-Germain began.

After all, the now 33-year-old performer left European football in the summer of 2023 and moved to Qatar’s Al Arabi from Doha for €45m, before switching clubs again this summer.

However, from the last interview with Verratti, you can understand that this transfer will definitely not be the last in his career.

“When I feel really good somewhere, I like to stay in that place. I lived in Paris for 11 years because I was just happy, and I found everything I needed there.

Football players also have a life outside of football, which I really enjoy and I really enjoy playing with my team. I am happy here.

Back to Serie A? Everything is possible in football, we’ll see. For now, I’m here in Qatar, I’ll definitely finish this season here, and then we’ll see. I don’t close the door to anything, but I like to live in the present and not think too much about the future. We’ll see at the end of the season what I want to do and what my family wants to do.

Pescara is my main team, it means everything to me. In the meantime, I hope Pescara will return to Serie A one day and then we’ll see… playing with the team you grew up with in the top division is definitely a dream for all boys.

My recent investment in the future of this club was a practical demonstration. It’s easy to say, anyone can say it in words, but I wanted to do something to give back to the club for everything I got from it. If I really managed to make my career in some way, then I owe a lot to Pescari.

It all started there; they gave me everything I needed to become a player, so this gesture of mine is a thank you to the club and a way to help it develop. Pescara’s fans are incredible and I’m in love with this city, it’s small but beautiful, with the sea and everything. I hope to help Pescara develop and make all the fans proud of me.

Prefab? The play-offs now seem inevitable for Italy, but of course I hope that Norway will fail. It will be difficult, but Italy have a great coach who inspires a lot of desire in his players and I hope they will all be ready to win a place at this country’s dream World Cup in March.

Play at the World Cup yourself? I don’t know, we’ll see. If necessary, I will speak directly with the coach. We’ll see, the national team is everything to me and I don’t think any individual player is important. The national team belongs to the whole country, and I just want to see them in the World Cup for the sake of my children and for the sake of a whole generation of children who have never seen Italy in the World Cup. I will be very happy if we qualify.

Series A? Yes, I always follow her. As for the squad, I think Inter is the most assembled team. But this year there is a Milan that can shoot. I don’t know why, but this year I’m rooting for Milan. I know that my friend Ibrahimovic cares about this club, and Milan is a team that I have always liked,” said the Italian performer.

Verratti has 12 appearances and three assists in the current Qatari football season.