A confident and motivated Luis Enrique spoke to the media on Wednesday, on the eve of Thursday’s PSG/OM clash in the Trophée des champions. The Spanish coach does not see this final as revenge for September’s Classique and believes his team is close to its ideal lineup, with only a few exceptions. Here are his full comments, transcribed by us.
On PSG’s ability to keep winning trophies
The first question was asked in Arabic and focused on whether PSG could win as many trophies as last season, including the Champions League.
“Hello everyone. We know it’s difficult to keep winning trophies, but at the same time it’s a motivation. Tomorrow, we’re playing an important match for us. It’s a final, a Classique. We know how important this match is for our supporters. We are ready and motivated for tomorrow.”
On ChatGPT and its predictions
A local journalist then asked Luis Enrique about ChatGPT’s prediction, which reportedly gave PSG as the winner of the final.
“(Laughs) You should have asked ChatGPT that question last year: ‘Who will win the Champions League?’ And no one would have said Paris Saint-Germain. You have to be intelligent about what ChatGPT can do. I’m joking, of course. But for us, playing a final is a motivation. We’re ready. At the same time, we want to dominate the match because we need the ball to play well. Our objective is to be more efficient both with and without the ball.”
On attacking options and lineup choices
With the returns of Désiré Doué and Ousmane Dembélé, Luis Enrique was asked how he makes his attacking choices.
“You will see, more or less, the real PSG team.”
“It depends on many things: the match, the players’ condition, the minutes load, the number of games. When you have to make a decision, you have to judge all of that. Tomorrow, it’s a final. We rested during the Christmas break and even if some players are still absent, tomorrow you’ll see, more or less, the real PSG team.”
On the team’s hunger
Asked about Désiré Doué’s comments regarding the team’s hunger for success:
“I think the most important thing to keep winning is enjoying the work. When I see the team enjoying training and having the hunger and desire to play football, that’s the most important thing. Of course, there are ups and downs during a season for all teams and players. From that point of view, I’m happy with what I’ve seen. I hope to win many more matches and have the opportunity to win many more trophies.”
On revenge after the September defeat against OM
“There is no revenge related to the Ligue 1 result.”
“When you play a Classique against OM, and especially a final, there is no revenge compared to the league match. It’s a different competition. We will have to manage emotions and all the important details of the match very well. No revenge, but we know how important this match is for our supporters, the club and the team.”
On Roberto De Zerbi and OM’s playing style
“De Zerbi builds his team to attack, and I like coaches who want to do that.”
“What I like about Roberto De Zerbi is his mentality. He’s an attacking coach. He attacks every day, he sets up his team to attack, and I like that. It will be difficult because they have quality, but we know there will be different phases in the match. We’re used to that. What we want is to dominate the game, have the ball, and press as quickly as possible to win it back.”
On the atmosphere in Kuwait
“In my opinion, it won’t be difficult to get into the match. Everyone usually has very high motivation in this type of game. That’s what we have to manage. Classiques in France are always special because there are only supporters of one team, either in Marseille or in Paris. This is different. But it’s nice to see people from another country having the chance to experience this match. I hope there will be many supporters tomorrow and that we can offer them a great match.”
On managing emotions and confidence in his team
“I have a lot of confidence in my team.”
“Every match has different aspects. I analyzed the first match against OM: we played very well and didn’t deserve that result, but football is like that. Playing away is always difficult, but we’re used to this kind of match. For us, managing emotions and everything around this game is very important. We are confident, we’re used to the highest level of competition. But a final always brings different situations, and managing them well will be key.”