The Luis Enrique PSG version has something to silence criticism. For a long time pointed out for his lack of efficiency, the Spanish technician managed to impose his paw, by building a team as rigorous as ambitious, capable of defending and attacking together. This year the club won Ligue 1, has risen to the final of the French Cup and is about to compete in the Champions League semi-final against Arsenal.
Recruited for € 70 million last summer, João Neves is one of the faces of this transformation. The young Portuguese environment, already the author of 5 goals and 9 assists in 46 matches, perfectly embodies the requirements of his coach. In an interview at
The Athleticthe former Benfica detailed the Luis Enrique method, centered on versatility and collective effort.
According to Neves, the coach's message is clear: each player must feel concerned by the recovery of the ball from its loss. “If you want to attack often, you have to recover it quickly,” he sums up. A simple but demanding philosophy, which pushes the players to give themselves thoroughly, even in the phases without balloon. “He told me that he wanted a team defending and attacking with 11 players. I loved what he told me, ”he adds.
A flexible game
Luis Enrique, seduced by the malleable profile of Neves, quickly offered him a key role in his system. And the young Portuguese caught up in the game: capable of evolving as a middle, lateral or even winger, he believes he has progressed thanks to the instructions and video analyzes of the staff. “He teaches me to adapt to all positions, to understand the game as a whole,” he explains.
This flexibility is today at the heart of the Parisian project. Neves underlines how much collective automatisms take precedence over individualities, and how each movement, even without balloon, can be decisive in the construction of a goal. “Sometimes you don't touch the ball, but your placement makes the action possible,” he says.
Two years after his arrival, Luis Enrique transformed an unstable PSG into an oiled collective machine. QSI's dream never seemed so close: finally get the Champions League.
