Luis Enrique probably did not imagine having sparked a controversy with his comments made at a press conference on the eve of the Champions League clash between Manchester City and PSG. Asked about the threat of heavy financial and sporting sanctions which weighs on the English club – accused of financial fraud to the tune of a billion and more than a hundred offenses – the Parisian coach surprised with his measured tone and his strong benevolence.
The Spanish coach actually defended the Citizens by declaring in particular: “There’s a lot of noise around the big clubs and it’s Manchester City’s turn. We will have to wait for the final decision of the person who will decide this. We are waiting and I hope that everything ends well for Manchester City because everything that has been done on the pitch has been incredible. They deserved to win all these trophies. But we must wait for the judge’s choice. » He then hit the nail on the head by asserting with confidence: “The trophies you win on the field stay on the field. They deserved to win them and I hope they will avoid a sanction. But whatever, we have to wait. »
This position and this displayed leniency immediately made Daniel Riolo jump. At the microphone of L’After Foot, the editorialist got angry with comments that he considers unacceptable from the Parisian technician. For him, the Spanish coach’s statement goes against all sporting logic and basic fairness. He therefore protested vehemently: “It’s truly scandalous what he says. That means you can cheat and you deserve it on the field. But what do you deserve on the field if you cheated, practiced financial fraud and had players you shouldn’t have? How can you say something like that? And he adds: “I hope it ends well for City”. He spits in the face of Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool. »
“He should only talk about football”
Daniel Riolo also pointed out Luis Enrique’s blindness and complete disconnect from the reality of English football and the climate of extreme tension which reigns on the other side of the Channel. While the Premier League is shaken by this sprawling issue, the reaction of the PSG coach, according to him, demonstrates culpable ignorance of the local context. “I think he is not very aware that in England, there is very strong emotion around this story, nor that former very great players – like Steven Gerrard, Gary Neville or Roy Keane – are up in arms and want to know if they will be sanctionedhe cursed. There are 114 offenses out of 115 recognized. If they really had players they shouldn’t have had because money came in abnormally, obviously it’s very serious. »
For Daniel Riolo, the firmness of British institutions and popular pressure could well prevent any attempt to cover up the affair, contrary to what is too often observed in French football. He thus insisted on the determination of the English actors by observing: “If the English send a very strong message – and I believe they are capable of doing it – with many star players, or with the boss of the Premier League who threatens to leave in the event of political intervention, I think that Manchester City cannot escape from this story, he predicted. In France, everyone is crashing but in England, you think a force like Liverpool is going to crash. »
“The climate in England is extremely heavy around City. When the coach of the biggest French club goes to a press conference and allows himself to say that he hopes it ends well for City and that they deserve to win on the pitch, it’s a scandal, Daniel Riolo said again. It’s scandalous that this guy would say that. He should only talk about football because as soon as he talks about anything else, it’s catastrophic. »
