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Thomas Frank hailed Vitinha as a future winner of the Ballon d'Or and nobody in the room was about to argue having just seen Paris Saint-Germain's midfield genius tear Tottenham apart.
'Sensational, as he always is,' was PSG boss Luis Enrique's take on his hat-trick hero and architect of the sparkling 5-3 win over Spurs. 'Our midfielders are unbelievable. It is so beautiful to see them playing like this.'
Vitinha took the shower of praise with good grace. 'I'm flattered, thanks a lot to him,' he replied when informed of Frank's prophecy, before adding: 'This remains a team sport. The most important thing is the team.'
It is, and Enrique is the manager who cracked the PSG puzzle by escaping their obsession with signing world's biggest stars and creating a team to rattle the established elite.
As if by magic, the Champions League trophy followed. Then individual trinkets rolled in. The Ballon d'Or awarded to the world's best player for striker Ousmane Dembele. The Golden Boy for Europe's best young star for Desire Doue.
They thumped five past Spurs without either Dembele or Doue on the pitch and it was a night to salute the player Vitinha has become.
Vitinha scored a hat-trick as Paris Saint-Germain toppled Tottenham in a chaotic 5-3 win
The Portuguese midfielder has quickly established himself as one of the best in world football
Spurs boss Thomas Frank hailed Vitinha as a future winner of the Ballon d'Or after the game
At the age of 25, he is the balancing point, the bubble in PSG's spirit level. Enrique adores him because he is perfect for the way he wants his team to play. They are super fluid, like liquid gold.
And Vitinha is akin to the scrum half, poised at the break down of possession, ever ready, always prepared to accept the ball. Capable of handling it under pressure. He reads the play with a nimble mind, assesses the options and angles at speed and invariably selects the right one. Often his passes go forward, then he moves for the next.
He circulates the PSG swarm and against Spurs he was able to decorate all of this with three goals. The first two, sublime finishes, one with each foot form the edge of the penalty area. Then a penalty converted after a rare slip in defence cost his team a goal at the other end.
Playing this way, bristling with confidence and usually flanked by equally selfless and gifted midfielders, Fabian Ruiz and Joao Neves, while chipping in with stylish goals and assists it is hard to imagine a better midfielder right now in world football.
Portugal boss Roberto Martinez, who is well-versed in the modern world's aversion to equivocation having managed Cristiano Ronaldo at international level, did not hesitate to cast his judgment. 'For me, Vitinha is the best midfielder in the world,' declared Martinez, earlier this year.
Vitinha does not have the physical presence of Declan Rice or the bite in the tackle of Moises Caicedo, which may explain why he did not leave an impression on the Premier League during his year on loan at Wolves from Porto.
Rice is an archetypal product of English football, a lion-hearted midfielder thriving in Mikel Arteta's muscular Arsenal team. Strong and athletic with an appetite for combat, he has the engine to cope with the intensity of the Premier League and a dead-ball technique to add another layer of quality. He has become a genuine force.
Caicedo is maturing into a wonderful footballer at Chelsea. There is much more to him than pure aggression and energy, but these assets serve him well in English football.
Meanwhile, Luis Enrique hailed his hat-trick hero 'sensational' and his midfield 'beautiful'
Vitinha did not set the world alight during his brief loan spell with Wolves in the Premier League
He does not quite have the physical presence of Arsenal's Declan Rice (right) or the bite in the tackle of Chelsea's Moises Caicedo (left) - but is still up there with the very best midfielders
Jude Bellingham's goals from midfield areas catch the eye at Real Madrid. Joshua Kimmich is a tactician who makes Bayern Munich tick. They all command a mention in any conversation about the world's finest midfielders.
Pedri of Barcelona is a closer comparison to Vitinha. There is a silken artistry to the way they operate. They recognise their role in the team and combine effortlessly with others. Perhaps this ability to understand their place in the machine and blend is one of the hallmarks of the Iberian school considering the impact of Xavi and Andres Iniesta and one of the legacies of Pep Guardiola.
There's an argument that both Vitinha and Pedri are better off flourishing where they are rather than trying to crack the Premier League. Why would they? It can become a stifling test of endurance on top of everything else. But in a dominant team, rich in quality and in control of possession, there's no reason why they can't succeed anywhere.
Bernardo Silva has been integral to Guardiola's various historic achievements at Manchester City although Rodri could be the best illustration of a central midfielder with just the right amount of all the qualities required. Technique, a tactical appreciation of all the moving parts and the strength, both mental and physical, to power on through an English season.
This mix won Rodri the Ballon d'Or when he was the keystone to a City team that swept all before them before injury struck. And if PSG continue in the same relentless fashion under Enrique, then Vitinha can follow in his footsteps, just as Frank said.
Vitinha excels in the outstanding team of the moment under boss who has conjured up the right formula. He is a joy to behold and after watching him on Wednesday, albeit dissembling a Spurs side who have won only three of their last 12 games, sign me up to hail his brilliance with Martinez and Frank.
