” Good morning ! No, good evening! » When entering the press room at Signal Iduna Park, Luis Enrique highlighted to the assembly his small progress in French this Tuesday afternoon. These greetings to the press, carried out with a smile, set the tone for a press conference during which the Spanish technician displayed his relaxation, his positive attitude and above all his optimism.
On the eve of playing his Champions League semi-final first leg against Borussia Dortmund, the PSG coach demonstrated his confidence and brandished a clear objective: to win this first round on German soil to give himself the best chance of enter Wembley on June 1st. On several occasions, he has hammered home three or four times his intention to win on the field of BVB, undefeated at home this season in the Champions League.
“I believe that any other result than a qualification for the final would be a disappointment for the four teams entered,” explained the Asturian. It will be a match not very similar to the quarter-finals. Speculating is not our way of playing, we will try to win with our football, a very good show. My experience tells me that tomorrow is the time to be competitive. We won in San Sebastián, in Barcelona, even though we had not won an away match during the group stage. Our goal is to win tomorrow because I have a courageous team. »
“We want to give pleasure to the supporters by qualifying for the final”
True to his habits, he did not hesitate to make a little sliding tackle towards the press when he was asked if the capital club was the big favorite of this double confrontation. “(He laughs) That’s why I’ve been saying for a long time that the press knows nothing about football,” he said, teasingly, after bursting out laughing. What’s nice, what’s beautiful about being here, is that we enjoy a great match in a unique stadium in Europe. We want to give pleasure to the supporters by qualifying for the final. I’m sorry (in French.) »
For more than twenty minutes, Luis Enrique tried hard to put aside any form of pressure, as he had gotten into the habit of doing in previous rounds. The coach simply wants to take advantage of the present moment, sweep away bad vibes, all forms of stress and spread this serenity acquired over the years on the bench of Barça and the Spanish selection.
“Since my arrival I have felt the support, from the player, from the club. We are in a process of improvement and we have progressed in all points, believes the Parisian coach. We are still alive, the competition par excellence in Europe is coming and we must manage our emotion, our ambition. We must not see pressure as a threat. We are arriving at the perfect time of the season. I am delighted to be in this situation. If you can’t handle this pressure… This is new to some here. I am lucky to be able to take advantage of these kinds of situations, others manage to adapt. This pressure is blessed. It’s always good to be in the C1 semi-final. »
“Youth is ready”
There was also a sign of protection towards his group when he was asked about the youth of his players. While PSG is the youngest of the four teams still in the running, Luis Enrique recalled that he attached no importance to the age of his footballers, even daring a comparison with his other favorite sport, cycling…
“It seems funny to me. If we lose, is it because we’re young? If we win, is it the lottery? In cycling, there are more and more young riders. I believe the youth are ready, thinks the Iberian coach. I don’t like people who criticize young people. I don’t look 11 thinking about age. I think more about maturity. Whether the players are 16 or 55 is not important. You can with older players and lose. It’s something positive and optimistic to have such a young squad for the future. »
