It was obvious that Luis Enrique’s press conference was going to start with the opposition with Barcelona, drawn the day before to face PSG in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. This Saturday at the PSG Campus in Poissy (Yvelines), the Iberian technician did not hide his joy at returning to the main club of his career. The city where he played for many seasons as a player (1996-2004), then coach (2014-2017) has a special place in his heart.
“We were lucky, we found ourselves in Spain. As a Spaniard, I return to Barcelona, the city where I spent most of my career. I feel wonderful there, it’s very good news. We knew that the competition was going to give us a difficult team and great individual quality. »
“The comeback was of no use”
Present on the Catalan bench on March 8, 2017, the date of Barça’s comeback against the Parisians (6-1), Luis Enrique, without denying the historical significance of this match, however put it into perspective by recalling that his team had been eliminated the next round. “The comeback was of no use, it did not allow us to win the Champions League since Juventus eliminated us in the quarterfinals (3-0, 0-0). », he notes. “Everyone remembers the return match, but PSG won 4-0 in the first leg. People only talk to me about the comeback, but 15 days before, we were between life and death. The culprits were the coach and the staff. I also remember the 4-0, like the 6-1. It’s part of history, I’m proud of my entire playing and coaching career. I’m going to try to give 100% to get through this round. »
“Winning the Champions League, our greatest ambition”
Asked about Xavi, who announced his departure from Barcelona at the end of the season, Luis Enrique said that “when you are at Barça, it is because you have the level. He is ready “. He then recalled that PSG and its opponents historically did not have the same references. “It’s a historic club with 5 Champions Leagues. We are talking about an opponent who knows what he is playing. We don’t have a C1, but we have a lot of ambitions to win the first one. We don’t know if we will win it this year, but it is our biggest ambition. »
“We want to win Ligue 1 as soon as possible”
In addition to the Champions League, Enrique also spoke of Paris’ mixed performances in Ligue 1 (three draws in a row). “I’m not concerned about the three draws in a row in the Championship. We were good in the other competitions. We don’t look at the gap in the Championship, we want to win Ligue 1 as soon as possible and fight for all the titles. Tomorrow, we want to win in Montpellier, but it will be difficult. »
“I am very happy with Kolo Muani”
The PSG coach also returned to the management of Randal Kolo Muani after the words of Didier Deschamps, who urged Enrique to “give more playing time” to his attacker. Without directly responding to the coach, Enrique expressed his satisfaction with the former Frankfurt player. “Kolo Muani has 1600 minutes of competition at the highest level. I’m very happy with him, he plays inside, outside, right… When he plays and trains, he gives his all. Gonçalo Ramos has 1500 minutes, he is ready too. This is what we want, no matter the minutes. »
Paris is currently ten points ahead of Brest, second in Ligue 1. The Bretons will host Lille this Sunday (1 p.m.).
