Even as the conductor of the world’s best team and widely regarded as one of the finest midfielders on the planet, Vitinha knows he still has flaws. In a wide-ranging interview with Portuguese outlet A Bola last week, the PSG midfielder openly identified what he considers to be the biggest weakness in his game — one that Luis Enrique is relentlessly pushing him to improve.
Asked which aspect of his play had perhaps been overpraised by observers, Vitinha responded with striking honesty and self-awareness.
“Which part of my game hasn’t been praised yet but maybe already should have been?
I’m sure they’ve all been praised — even some that probably shouldn’t have been, because they’re not that good.”
Vitinha then recalled the reaction following his Champions League hat-trick against Tottenham, where he scored one goal with his weaker foot.
“I remember when I scored my hat-trick in the Champions League, I scored one goal with my left foot and people said, ‘What an incredible left foot, you don’t even know if it’s his right or left.’
That’s nonsense. My left foot is almost useless. It’s really bad.”
A Clear Area for Improvement — Identified by Luis Enrique
Vitinha admitted that improving his left foot is a constant topic with his coach.
“Luis Enrique harasses me about it day and night so that I improve it, and I know I need to improve it.
My left foot is really very bad — well, not that bad — but compared to my right, it’s really poor.”
The PSG midfielder believes that correcting this flaw could elevate his game even further.
“I could bring so much more to my game if I managed to do certain things with my left foot.
Against Tottenham, it came instinctively and I managed to score.
As for the rest, I don’t think there’s anything else that really deserves praise — I already get plenty.”
Defensive Work Still a Priority
Beyond his weaker foot, Vitinha also acknowledged that there is room for improvement in the defensive side of his game — especially given his current role.
“I can always improve, and I still have progress to make defensively.
In attack, it comes naturally — it’s what I enjoy doing.
Defensively, there’s always a lot of room for improvement, especially in the position I’m playing now, as the deepest midfielder, the number six.”
He concluded with a smile — and a reminder of his priorities:
“There’s always room to get better… and the left foot.”
For a player who already dictates the tempo at the highest level, Vitinha’s honesty and hunger to improve offer a clear insight into why Luis Enrique trusts him so deeply — and why his ceiling may still be higher than it already looks.