After a success in Metz (2-3) which was frankly complicated at the end, PSG coach Luis Enrique did not hide the fact that he had trembled until the end at the press conference. He also mentioned the cases of a few players, Ndjantou or Doué in particular, before looking ahead to the next match against Flamengo. Here are his full remarks, transcribed by us.
Were you scared at the end of the match? Do you regret a little, perhaps, your team’s loss of control at the end of the match?
“When you put four or five attackers in and you have to make changes out of obligation…”
” Fear ? Lots of fear! Of course, I think Metz played very well, especially in the second half. They are in the match until the last minute. They pressed very well, they played from behind and for me they played very well. I think that, when you put four or five attackers all together and you have to make changes out of obligation, there were missing midfielders on the field. It was difficult. We lost our balance and we lost control of the match in the latter part of the second half. »
This evening, Quentin Djantou scored his first goal in Ligue 1, he plays in the middle, he had a good match, what can you tell us about the development of this player and his first goal in Ligue 1 which will surely give him confidence?
” Of course. It was the surprise of this season. I think he has this quality of making deep calls with or without the ball. He has this ability. He is a player who starts from the second line. He has the ability as a midfielder, also as a striker. A very good quality player. We hope a lot from him. »
Ibrahim Mbaye also had a very good match. Was he galvanized by his selection today at the CAN? How do you explain? He actually felt really, really good. He might even be one of the players of the match.
“Mbaye is more liberated”
“Normally to have a lot of opportunities, like we gave to Ibé, that’s why we believe a lot in his quality. And today he showed a little more of what he normally shows. He is more liberated, more comfortable. Today he did some very good actions, with and without the ball, which is very important for us. I’m very happy and, before leaving for the CAN, I think there is still one match left for him. We are ready to continue to give continuity to the players. »
You brought on Désiré Doué at half-time, he played 45 minutes and he scored a goal, what did you think of his performance and how he feels?
“I’m very happy. He scored a goal and we continue with the process for the returning players. It’s one thing to recover from an injury, it’s a very different thing to be 100%. And at the moment there is not yet this physical condition. But today he took a small step forward and we are happy. It’s the last match of this year in the league, of this year 2025, and we are happy with the result. »
Metz is last in the ranking. Were you surprised by their performance against you today?
“I think we controlled the match at the start. Every time we scored a goal and we had this opportunity (to manage), they scored. And it was difficult because in the last part of the match, we lost control. Metz have this ability to play the ball from behind, it’s not normally easy for teams from the lower part of the table but they played very well. And it was complicated for us. »
Achraf Hakimi is still absent on the right lane. You continue to play Warren Zaire-Emery on this lane. Were you satisfied with his performance this evening, knowing that he came across Tsitaichvili who was very upset in the second period?
“Very, very positive. I think he showed his ability to play in different positions. And at the moment, for us, with Hakimi’s injury, we need a player with this physical and technical ability. And I think he continues to have good matches all the time. He is very balanced (Editor’s note: he says “balanced” but we corrected) and I am very happy with his performance today. And it’s a real pleasure to have a player like Warren Zaire-Emery. »
We learned during the match that the next match, the Intercontinental Cup final, will be against Flamengo, who beat Pyramids FC 2-0. What does it inspire you to challenge Flamengo, who is coached by a former player we all know very well, Filipe Luis?
“It will be difficult, but it is motivation, because it is very difficult to play this match”
“We knew their quality, because we saw Flamengo last summer, in the Club World Cup. We knew their quality and it will be very difficult. They have quality, they have experience, players with a lot of experience, they played very good football, with and without the ball. Normally, if you think about the last time I participated in this match, there was a lot of gap between us and the opponents (3-0 victory against River Plate with Barça in 2015). Right now, for this final, it will be different. We are going to play against one of the best teams in the world. It will be difficult, but it is motivation, because it is very difficult to play this match. This will be an opportunity for both teams. »
