2024-08-02 07:01:40
Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique on Saturday sought to downplay star Kylian Mbappé’s announcement that he will leave the club and the French league at the end of this season, when his contract expires.
“We knew it for a long time, you all knew it, it just became public yesterday. It doesn’t change anything in the situation,” said the Spanish coach at the press conference ahead of PSG’s league match tomorrow in Paris against Toulouse.
Regardless of the players, he was confident: “We will be stronger next year,” he said.
Luis Enrique said he had a “wonderful” experience during the season he has coached Mbappé, “despite the fact that they have tried to pit us against each other many times,” he said in one of his usual criticisms of the sports press.
“I understand and can understand his decision. He has spent seven years here, he is a legend of the club, he has given everything for the club, and it is a club that has also given him everything,” he added.
“I wish him the best, he has not yet said where he is going, we believe that is clear,” said the Asturian coach.
Luis Enrique announced that for the last two league games, a tournament that PSG has already won, he will try to combine the minutes given to his players to give rest, although without a break, to the possible starters for the Cup final on May 25, and give more opportunities to those who have played less.
He also admitted that the dressing room is still hurt by the way they were eliminated last Tuesday in the Champions League semi-finals against Borussia Dortmund, after a match in which the Parisians lost 0-1 with four balls hitting the woodwork.
“We are still hurt. It hurts us because we had placed a lot of hopes in this possible final,” he admitted, and in the end the result of the tie does not reflect his “merits.”
“It was a hard blow for everyone (…) In the end you get the feeling that you gave your all, 100%,” even if the result “was not what we expected,” he added.
Speaking on club television before the game, Luis Enrique admitted: “We were not able to beat Dortmund,” although coming so close to a final “is painful.”
He also set the goal for tomorrow’s match as “trying to give the fans something to cheer about in the last home game and in the title celebration. Celebrate together and try to play a great game.”