Present at a pre-match press conference this Friday, Luis Enrique spoke about his future opponent, his group and some of his players including Achraf Hakimi. The vice-captain of the Rouge et Bleu has been essential for the Parisian team for several months.
In front of journalists at the PSG Campus, the Spanish technician spoke about the importance of his side within the squad.
“Hakimi's status has not changed in the past two years. He is one of the leaders in the locker room. His teammates chose him as 2nd captain, this indicates his status and level in the team. As a player, he is a differential player, he has a lot of defensive and offensive qualities, he plays almost every match, always at 100%. I’m very happy to have him on the team,” he blurted.
“The best right back in the world”
Since the arrival of Luis Enrique at PSG in the summer of 20223, Achraf Hakimi has moved into a new dimension. The Moroccan defender has continued to progress to the point of becoming a credible candidate for the 2025 Ballon d'Or (the Parisian number 2 finished 6th).
Still at a press conference, Luis Enrique admitted that his player deserved the African Ballon d'Or and that he was undoubtedly the best in his position. “To be honest, I have to know the level of the other players. But he is without a doubt the best right-back in the world for me. This is why we are not signing another right-back. He almost always plays and when he doesn't play, we have other options. You have to pay a lot of money to bring in a right-back who will be a substitute, who will play 3 games and be demotivated… We try to have possibilities (if Hakimi doesn't play) in the academy, in the team, I think that's the best way to perform well throughout the season. »
