Luis Enrique Archives

PSG coach Luis Enrique warns against complacency in Club World Cup final

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) coach Luis Enrique on Friday urged his team to conclude the best season in the club’s history by winning the Club World Cup, but warned not to expect Sunday’s final against Chelsea to be a “simple formality.”

“This is absolutely not going to be a simple formality,” the Spanish coach insisted, refusing to accept that PSG are necessarily overwhelming favourites to lift the trophy at MetLife Stadium despite their fearsome form.

“I have analysed Chelsea. They have a great squad. Enzo Maresca is doing a great job, and I really like what he is doing,” Luis Enrique said. “They are a very complete team.”

PSG can complete a remarkable clean sweep of trophies with victory, having won a French league and cup double before claiming the UEFA Champions League for the first time in their history at the end of May.

“We want to finish this historic season in the best possible way,” said the former Barcelona coach.

“Now we must open the next chapter, win more major trophies. We want to make more history by winning on Sunday.”

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PSG were spellbinding at times in their 4-0 victory against Real Madrid in the semi-finals and also put four goals past Atletico Madrid and Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami during the competition.

“But we have to win this game to round things off. However, in a final, there is always a winner and a loser, and that doesn’t mean the loser has necessarily done anything wrong,” Luis Enrique added.

“We will lose again at some point, because that is what happens in top-level football, but I think the path is clear for everyone.”

This is the first edition of the 32-team Club World Cup, and whoever wins on Sunday will be world champions for four years, with the next tournament scheduled to take place in 2029.

“We are aware of the importance of this match, that it is a golden opportunity to be in a World Cup final,” said captain Marquinhos.

“This only happens every four years, and we don’t know where we will be in four years.”

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PSG coach Luis Enrique ‘very happy’ with Mbappe ahead of French Cup semi

Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique said Tuesday he was “very happy” with star attacker Kylian Mbappe during a press conference on the eve of his side’s French Cup semi-final clash with Rennes, as he downplayed rumours of a rift.

Following Mbappe’s announcement to the club in February that he would leave Paris at the end of his contract this summer, the Frenchman has seen his playing minutes reduced and he looked visibly unhappy when substituted off with half an hour to play in PSG’s 2-0 win at Marseille on Sunday.

Asked about Kylian Mbappe’s attitude when leaving the pitch at the Velodrome, PSG’s Spanish coach Luis Enrique said: “What’s curious is everything that’s being said based on a piece of false news.

“Someone has invented an insult (based on a lipreading of a video showing Mbappe as he made his way off the pitch) and then from that comes all kinds of speculations.”

After the match, Mbappe posted a photo on Instagram of himself walking off the field under the rain, holding the captain’s armband in his hand — in the absence of Brazilian defender Marquinhos, the attacker was PSG’s captain on the night.

“I’m taking it all in my stride. I’m very happy with all my players, Kylian included, he’s always behaved admirably,” said Luis Enrique at Tuesday’s press conference.

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Ahead of PSG’s fixture with arch-rivals Marseille, the Spaniard said Saturday in an interview with Prime Video that Mbappe “can still change his mind” about leaving.

Although heavily linked to Spanish giants Real Madrid, Mbappe has still not announced where he will play football next season after his current contract expires with PSG.

Still in contention for three titles — the French league, French cup and Champions League — PSG now enter a crucial phase of their season.

On Wednesday, they will welcome Rennes to the Parc des Princes where they are favourites to book a place in the French Cup final on May 25 in Lille.

The following Wednesday, Luis Enrique’s former side Barcelona visit PSG for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.

“We’re all in the same boat, sailing and seeking success,” said Luis Enrique of his side’s treble quest.

“I’d love this to end well for PSG, for Kylian, for everyone.”

On Tuesday, Lyon host second-division Valenciennes in the first semi-final tie of the French Cup with the winners facing either PSG or Rennes in May’s showpiece final.

READ: PSG edge past Marseille to take step closer to Ligue 1 title

PSG match-winner Kylian Mbappe has ‘no problem’ with coach Luis Enrique

Kylian Mbappe insisted he had “no problem” with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) coach Luis Enrique after scoring a brace in his side’s win over Real Sociedad in the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday.

Wearing the captain’s armband, Mbappe opened the scoring quarter of an hour into the second leg in San Sebastian and struck again early in the second half.

PSG won the game 2-1 to secure a 4-1 aggregate victory and a place in the quarter-finals for the first time since 2021.

“It’s fine. There is no problem with him, even if people might think there is a problem. I do have problems but the coach is not one,” Mbappe told broadcaster Canal Plus when asked about his relationship with Luis Enrique.

Mbappe had either started on the bench or been substituted in each of PSG’s previous three Ligue 1 games since he informed the club he would be leaving when his contract expires at the end of the season.

He was replaced at half-time in last weekend’s 0-0 draw at former club Monaco, but he played the whole 90 minutes here and took his goals tally for the season to 34 in 34 matches.

“We are very, very pleased to be in the quarter-finals,” added Mbappe, who flourished in an attacking set-up which allowed him to come in from his favoured left flank, with Bradley Barcola on the right and Ousmane Dembele through the middle.

“I don’t have any message in particular. I just always want to play in the Champions League.

“It is a very important competition. I try to always perform. Sometimes that happens and sometimes it doesn’t, but I will never be a player who hides.”

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Runners-up in 2020, PSG have never won the Champions League and had gone out in the last 16 in five of the last seven seasons.

“We are satisfied and happy. We played really well and stopped La Real from getting back into the tie,” Luis Enrique said.

Of Mbappe, he added: “There is no need to manage Mbappe. He manages himself.

“Normally he has freedom, but today he was fixed on the left wing from where we wanted him to be in a good position in the final third, because when you leave him in on goal he is lethal.”

PSG will now hope for a favourable draw in the last eight, both legs of which will take place in April.

“We have no pressure. We have not won the Champions League,” added the former Barcelona coach, who named a young starting line-up on Tuesday with an average age of under 24.

“Our team is clearly improving and we will see how far we can go.

“We are not putting extra pressure on the team. We are one of the youngest teams and this objective needs to be something to be excited about rather than a weight for us.

“It has to be a source of motivation and from there we will try to compete against whoever we play.”

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PSG boss opens up about Kylian Mbappe’s potential move to Real Madrid

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) head coach Luis Enrique has opened up about their star striker Kylian Mbappe potentially leaving the club and joining Real Madrid.

Reportedly, Mbappe told PSG officials on Thursday that he intends to leave the club following his contract expiration at the end of the season.

However, Enrique confirmed that he cannot provide any information to the media regarding the move at the moment.

“I have no information to give you,” Enrique said.

“Until the two parties involved speak publicly, I will not say anything.

“When the parties speak, I will give you my opinion.”

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Mbappe, who arrived in Paris from Monaco in 2017, had extended his contract in 2022 until 2024 but last summer declined to activate a clause allowing him to stay another year at PSG.

Mbappe has been widely tipped to move to Real Madrid and, according to a source close to the matter, has already entered negotiations with the Spanish giants.

Kylian Mbappe will leave PSG on a free transfer but the blow to the club will be softened by an agreement they reached last summer which will see the player waive bonuses amounting to around 60 to 70 million euros ($65.6 million to $76.6 million).

After seven seasons at PSG, Kylian Mbappe, the club’s all-time top scorer, looks set to seal a move to Real Madrid, the club that the player has dreamt of since he was a child.

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Spain sack Luis Enrique after World Cup flop

DOHA: Spain sacked coach Luis Enrique on Thursday after the 2010 champions were dumped out of the World Cup by Morocco at the last-16 stage, quickly naming his replacement as under-21s boss Luis de la Fuente.

Spain started their campaign in Qatar in style by hammering Costa Rica 7-0 and qualified for the knockout phase despite a shock 2-1 defeat to Japan.

They were strong favourites for their last-16 match against Morocco but crashed out on penalties after the game finished goalless following extra-time.

“Both the president, Luis Rubiales, and the sporting director, Jose Francisco Molina, have told the coach their decision,” the RFEF (football association) said in a statement.

They said they wanted to thank Luis Enrique and his staff for their work, but had decided to start a “new project”.

Shortly afterwards, the federation announced that De la Fuente, who led Spain’s men’s team to the silver medal at last year’s Olympics, was the new man in the hotseat.

Luis Enrique had said he wanted to stay on as coach after the defeat by Morocco on Tuesday.

“I am very happy with the Spanish FA, the president and with (the sporting director),” he said.

“If it was up to me I would stay all my life, but that is not the case. I have to think calmly what is the best for me and for the national team.”

Spain last lifted a major trophy a decade ago at Euro 2012, while they have not won a single knockout game at the Word Cup since triumphing in South Africa in 2010.

New Project

Luis Enrique took over in 2018 after Spain’s disappointing showing at the World Cup in Russia, and led La Roja to the semi-finals of Euro 2020, where they were also beaten on penalties, by Italy.

His time as Spain coach was characterised by a firm commitment to maintaining possession.

They attempted more than 1,000 passes against Morocco but ended up with nothing to show for it, forcing Yassine Bounou into only one save before the shootout.

“We dominated the game but we lacked a goal,” lamented Luis Enrique. “We could have been more effective in the final third, but I am more than satisfied with what my players did.

“They represented perfectly what my idea of football is.”

The RFEF announced De la Fuente as Luis Enrique’s replacement and his appointment will be ratified next week by the federation’s board of directors.

“The new coach will make his debut in March for Euro 2024 qualifiers, taking charge of his first games against Norway and Scotland,” said the RFEF in a statement.

De la Fuente will be officially presented on Monday as the coach.

The 61-year-old is a coach who also likes his team to keep hold of the ball, but is more flexible than his predecessor and willing to try other strategies when necessary.

Many of the young players in the Spain World Cup squad previously played for De la Fuente at youth level.

Last year De la Fuente coached the Spain national team in a friendly against Lithuania, using U21 players, as the first team squad and staff were forced to quarantine after one positive Covid case, as protocol demanded at the time.

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