2023-12-14 01:06:49
The Parisian coach takes stock after his team qualified for the round of 16 of the Champions League, in Dortmund (1-1).
Special correspondent in Dortmund
Group stage review : “I am very happy. We always had the ambition to win in all matches, we were always offensive, we always had more chances. »
Reasons to hope and have ambitions in the Champions League : “There are 11 new players, new staff, new campus… Everything is new. We will be much stronger in February.”
“The goal was to finish first but in such a difficult group, I am very happy with second place”
Luis Enrique on 2nd place for PSG
If he followed the Newcastle-Milan result : “I didn’t look at the score of the other match until the last minutes. The goal was to win and we said it again at half-time, because if we thought about the other game, we would have had problems and it would have been a disaster. In the 85th minute, we saw that Milan were winning, which allowed us to qualify, and I asked for more control, less risk, but to seize the opportunity to win if we had it. The goal was to finish first but in such a difficult group, I am very happy with second place. It will make us grow. I am happy with the attitude of my players. Difficulties will come but we will be much stronger in February.”
Read also PSG notes in Dortmund: Zaire-Emery like a great, ghostly Kolo Muani, frustrated Mbappé
Areas of progress : “I’ve been coaching at the highest level for 12 years and all my teams have progressed over time. There were 11 new players, a new game idea. I trust the professionalism of the people who work at the club. If I’m wrong, don’t take away this positive desire.”
Kylian Mbappé’s frustration at the end : “It’s normal for players to be frustrated after such a match… We had five very clear chances. But it would have been stupid to concede a goal in the 85th minute by taking more risks than necessary. When a player is frustrated because he hasn’t scored, it’s my role as a coach to manage the risk-taking and the tension too. When the emotions calm down a little, we can see that it is a real success to move into such a complicated group. We are still alive even if many would like us to be dead.
“Warren Zaire-Emery is a marvel”
Luis Enrique on his midfielder
The progress of Warren Zaire-Emery : “We talked a lot about his professionalism and his personality. He is a very special player. He is capable of scoring, of making people score, it’s a marvel.”
Adversity in the round of 16 : “I’m still positive and I think none of the teams that finished first will want to meet PSG… You can ask them. But once again, we will be much stronger in February.”
Read alsoChampions League: PSG returns from hell and will see the round of 16
PSG still clumsy in the last gesture : “That doesn’t worry me. We are the team that creates the most chances, we have players who score all the time… What concerns me is the lack of control in the game, when we lose balls, when it there’s too much back and forth in the match. That’s what I want to improve, I’m working on it. But there are teams which have an identical or even higher level in the Champions League. I’m not stupid and I know that we are going to face difficult teams in this competition.
Comments collected at a press conference
#stronger #February