Luis Enrique reveals his truths about his debut at PSG

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By: Manu Tournoux

Free from any contract after his departure from the Spanish selection, Luis Enrique has decided to return to club service on the bench of Paris Saint-Germain, thus succeeding the sacked Christophe Galtier. The Spaniard’s mission? Building a competitive team around Kylian Mbappé while managing the departures of Lionel Messi, then Neymar at the end of the transfer window. For this, the Iberian technician took advantage of the summer transfer window to offer himself several recruits in different positions (Hernandez, Ugarte, Kolo Muani, etc.). And if the very start of the capital club’s season was sluggish – including two consecutive draws against Lorient (0-0) and Toulouse (1-1) – the former FC Barcelona coach was able to establish a new foothold in the Parisian game, particularly based on ball possession. And in the end, the results of this first part of the season nevertheless remain mixed.

Because yes, Paris Saint-Germain are perhaps autumn champions in Ligue 1 and qualified for the final phase of the Champions League, certain results are clearly called into question, as evidenced by the somewhat complicated course in C1, with a second place in groups behind Borussia Dortmund. But in an interview given to the club’s media, the native of Gijon draws a positive assessment of his first six months. “There were a lot of new things as soon as I arrived. With the arrival of many players, the new training center and implementing a new playing philosophy. It was an intense first few weeks, with a truncated preseason for some players, who arrived later. But I have to say that everything was positive from the start, the players were receptive and everyone at the club helped to make everything go well.

Luis Enrique under the spell of the Park

The Spanish technician then announced his high ambitions for the rest of the 2023-2024 financial year. “I am very happy and satisfied with these first months, with the energy and the desire that I see within the club, at all levels. Everyone participates, everyone helps, and it’s a harmony that is important in a football club. We are only halfway through the season, the second will be very exciting, we have to play a lot more and work harder to win titles. This is our goal. We want to be consistent in our performance, that’s our guiding principle.” To do this, the former coach of La Roja can count on a quality squad, represented by the mature youth of Warren Zaire-Emery. And he does not hesitate to ignore age and trusts players capable of bringing something extra to his team.

“I’m not afraid to play with young people. In my career, I have never decided to play players based on their age. What motivates me is the quality of the player. And how do you become a great player? By working hard and playing competitively. I don’t care about ages! What matters is playing football, it’s not about the experience, it’s about the game.” Finally, the 53-year-old coach did not hesitate to proclaim his love for the Parc des Princes and its supporters, always present regardless of the results. “The Parc des Princes was a wonderful discovery. Everyone says all the time that they have the best fans in the world, but when the team loses, they whistle. Here in Paris, that is not the case. We lost away matches, and I still heard our supporters applauding louder than the locals. The Park is something big, and we must encourage our supporters to support us again and again, so that they enjoy coming to see us play. One thing is certain, Luis Enrique seems to be enjoying his start to his adventure in Paris.

Categories PSG