In Round 10 of Ligue 1, Paris Saint-Germain will host Troyes. Ahead of the match, Paris coach Luis Enrique attended a press conference and spoke about the team's recent winning streak, preparations for the Troyes game, tactical system, high press, the role of Fabian Ruiz, and how to help players cope with external praise and public pressure, among other topics.
Reporter: Hello, Luis Enrique. Last week's opponent was Le Havre, and tomorrow it's Troyes. From a tactical analysis perspective, do these league matches give your team as much information as big matches against Manchester City or Barcelona?
Luis Enrique: Good afternoon, everyone. As I always emphasize, every match provides us with a lot of information. Tomorrow's match is a league game, and it's very important for us. We have to prove on the pitch that we are ready for this kind of match.
Troyes is currently in a difficult situation, but that often creates the illusion that the game will be easy. If the whole team believes it will be an easy contest, the opposite will happen, and it could even turn into the most difficult match of the week. We must clearly show that we are a team hungry for three points. Tomorrow's match will be a very good test for us.
Reporter: Hello, coach. Since you took charge, the high press has been your tactical trademark, and it was executed exceptionally well against Villarreal. Which team or coach has inspired you the most when it comes to pressing?
Luis Enrique: No team at all. My inspiration comes entirely from my own players. As a coach, your primary responsibility is to convey your tactical philosophy to the players, and then watch how they understand and implement it on the pitch. Coaches can design and practice various systems, but it is always the players themselves who make the decisions during the match.
I like to inspire players with simple, clear ideas. As for the intensity and effectiveness of the press, my inspiration always comes from what my players show in training every day and in matches.
Reporter: Hello, coach. After the victory over Villarreal, the team received high praise from the outside. In the post-match review and analysis, even if the whole game seemed perfect, did you still point out areas for improvement to the players?
Luis Enrique: The final score always receives the most attention. But regardless of the result, there is always room for improvement in any game. The scoreline we achieved against Villarreal does not represent the true difference in strength between the two teams. Football is full of unpredictability. It's good to occasionally win by a big margin, but we must be clear that it is not the normal state of affairs. We must completely turn the page and focus all our attention on the issues we need to address tomorrow against Troyes.
Reporter: You just mentioned that football occasionally produces inexplicable scorelines, such as Como's 9-1 victory over Lens. How do you view the actual strength comparison between teams, given the league standings and such lopsided results?
Luis Enrique: It would be a big mistake to think that was the true gap between the two teams. Lens is a very good team, and I also watched Como's match. Como played at an extraordinary, almost dreamlike level that night, but that is definitely not the true, normal gap between the two sides. Football is full of variables, and the same applies to our match against Villarreal. Even though we were the winners, we can't think of it as representing the real gap between the teams.
Reporter: The team has been receiving a lot of praise recently, and some opposing coaches have even admitted to being afraid of facing Paris Saint-Germain. As head coach, do you need to keep your players grounded?
Luis Enrique: It's actually very simple. At Paris Saint-Germain, external opinion often swings between two extremes: either the sky is falling, or you're said to be invincible. This is all external noise, and you have to learn not to be disturbed by it. Internally, we stay closely united, carry out our daily training step by step, and focus entirely on the challenges at hand.
Reporter: Fabian Ruiz scored twice in midweek. Nowadays, football increasingly focuses on individual statistics like goals and assists. Are people, to some extent, overlooking the core value of midfielders who connect the entire team?
Luis Enrique: It's normal; goals are always the most eye-catching. But to implement our tactical approach, we need midfielders who can closely link up all their teammates. Fabian is a typical example. Whether the ball is at his feet or not, he is always moving to defend, cover, and organize his teammates' passing. He has extremely high tactical awareness, is one of the best midfielders in the world, and has won countless honors in his career. His selfless commitment in matches deserves all the praise.
Reporter: You often talk about managing the team's highs and lows. How exactly do you guide your players to keep a stable mindset amid external distractions?
Luis Enrique: It's not complicated. If you're still basking in the last big win, tomorrow's game will immediately pull you down. External voices will always be there, but our players are very mature, and their attitude in training is consistently the same. Whether a particular day goes well or not, the intensity of play and the fighting spirit must never be compromised. As long as we always focus on the key details and maintain our hunger for victory, the team can continue to perform at the highest level.
Reporter: Since the return from the international break, the team has won 7 consecutive matches, scoring 27 goals and conceding only 7. What has changed in this Paris Saint-Germain team?
Luis Enrique: This team is no different from the one at the start of the season. A long season naturally has its ups and downs, and through squad rotation we make sure every player has the opportunity to show his abilities. Everyone is in excellent form, and we are in a favorable position in all competitions. Winning every match between the two international breaks is the team's biggest motivation for tomorrow.
Reporter: In modern football, left-footed players are increasingly valued, especially left-footed center-backs. Why is having left-footed players so important? Do you think left-footed players inherently have some special magic?
Luis Enrique: It's like Rafael Nadal in tennis: opponents often find it harder to adapt to the trajectory of shots from left-handed or left-footed players. In terms of passing angles and body orientation, it is indeed more natural and fluid for left-footed players to pass the ball on the left side of the pitch. But as a coach, I have worked with center-back pairings of two right-footed players and of two left-footed players. Modern football requires high-level players to keep working on their weaker foot, and breaking free of the limitations of their dominant foot is key to raising their level.
Reporter: When leading by a large margin, the team still attacks with full force until the last moment. In your opinion, is constantly pushing for goals the greatest form of respect for the opponent?
Luis Enrique: Absolutely. The greatest respect for an opponent is to give everything, without reservation, throughout the entire match. When you're leading by three or four goals, respect doesn't mean doing fancy tricks to humiliate the opponent, but continuing to play with the same intensity in attack and defense. It's like the New Zealand rugby team: after performing the Haka, they fight with full effort, like a precise machine, until the end. Regardless of the score, maintaining focus and high intensity is the true way to respect football and respect the opponent.
Reporter: You scored 143 goals in your career and always showed strong fighting spirit and self-sacrifice on the pitch. Are these qualities also your core criteria for selecting and developing players today?
Luis Enrique: How many goals did you say I scored? 143? Is that all? You must be mistaken, I feel like I scored more (laughs).
Just kidding. As a coach, I place more value on a player's personal character and desire to improve. A player's technical and physical qualities are fundamental, but their family background, moral character, and attitude toward continuous progress determine their ceiling. Helping players overcome weaknesses that go unnoticed and grow into more well-rounded players is precisely the meaning of a coach's work.
Reporter: In the past, Paris Saint-Germain often relied too heavily on individual star players, but you have built a team that operates as a collective through rotation, no longer depending on a single core player. How was this tactical transformation achieved?
Luis Enrique: Through resolute squad rotation and clear demands. Players must clearly understand that when they wear the Paris Saint-Germain jersey, they must give their all and put the collective interest first. In my first year as coach, my wife once asked me, "Why does your team play in the same style no matter who you put on the pitch?"
For me, that's the answer: when all the players in the team can play with the same tactical philosophy and team concept, the system naturally falls into place.
markrodney
1
Great coach