A major show of force. This Tuesday evening, Paris SG splashed the Champions League in its class by winning with a clear score of 6-0 against Villarreal. A monumental correction, an offensive recital and total mastery from the first to the last minute which should have plunged Luis Enrique into absolute bliss. However, at the final whistle, the Spanish technician indulged in a little rant. The reason? A lunar refereeing decision occurred in the 74th minute which caused the Parisian coach to panic.
As PSG prepared to make a triple change, the match referee judged that the players called to give up their places were dragging their feet to leave the pitch. In an excess of zeal, the official decided simply to restart the game, leaving PSG temporarily playing eight against eleven, while the confusion dissipated and the entrants entered the field. A decision which immediately brought Luis Enrique off his hinges.
Furious at this decision which he considers lunar and dangerous, the Catalan coach even pushed one of his players towards the pitch to force him to urgently re-enter the game. A gesture of annoyance which earned the player a yellow card… before the referee, taken by surprise, finally authorized him to stay on the pitch.
“What is this, child’s play?” »
A surreal sequence that Luis Enrique did not digest and which he did not fail to castigate at a press conference. Up like a cuckoo, the former coach of La Roja exploded, denouncing a total lack of respect. “What happened with the three changes was a complete joke. If the score had been 0-0 and we had three players taken away… Then I push one of them, he gets a yellow card and we let him continue. I should have pushed the other two too! What is this, child’s play? We must also respect professionals, just as we respect the refereeing body”he blurted out, quite irritated, in comments reported by Marca.
Despite this grotesque gray area and his obvious anger, the Parisian coach still knew how to put things into perspective. Once the storm passed, the XXL score delivered by his men took over, making him immensely proud of the state of mind displayed by his group throughout the meeting. “I want to emphasize our mentality, we played the same way whatever the result. It was a test of this team’s ambition. It’s a pleasure. When you’re just looking to keep playing the same way, those are positive things. But we are not yet champions, nor in the final in Madrid. »
