Luis Enrique: “I try to calm Dembélé down a bit”

Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique spoke to the media ahead of the Champions League play-off second leg against Brest. The Asturian coach is wary of his opponents tomorrow, despite a comfortable win in the first leg. He also added that he is trying to calm his players down when managing the group, alluding to Dembélé, who is going through a spectacular moment of form.

 

The match against Brest: “I am focused on tomorrow. We have a very good result. The second match will be difficult. They are a team, Brest, that has come back against us twice and has been two goals down on several occasions. They are very well trained and have quality, with the ability to play long balls and second balls. They are a team that can cause us problems. We will play forgetting about the result, which is there, it is very good, but the objective is solely and exclusively to win tomorrow’s match.”

The comeback against PSG with Barça and its parallel tomorrow: “Without a doubt. It is a tricky match. The result is very good, our job is to plan the match from the start with the need to win. The atmosphere tomorrow at the Parc will be as always. We will go for the match from the first minute. We must not think about anything other than attacking, with intensity.”

 

On how calm he was before a Champions League match: “I never go into a match relaxed. It’s not my style. It’s impossible to be calm.”

 

Kvaratskhelia: “I am happy with his adaptation. He needs some time to adapt. There are no magic formulas. I am very happy with how he has been received, how he behaves, how he trains. He is a long-term signing. Life, things, everything is a process. He is in that process trying to prove that he can be a starter from the first minute.”

 

His treatment of the players: “I treat the players as I always do. I am demanding by nature and the players are ambitious. I try to balance what is happening around me. With Barcola, you tried to make him seem like a player from another galaxy, but I tried to calm them down. Barcola has always been very consistent. Now, Ousmane Dembélé is having a very sweet moment. I try to calm him down a bit. I try to balance them out. That is the job I have. When you lack confidence, give you confidence. If there is excess confidence, calm you down a bit.”

 

Whether there will be rotations with the hectic schedule: “I don’t know. We’ll see.”

If the team will be better in March: “What do you think I am, a magician? I made my comments last year and this season I stand by what I have said from the start. When we were losing I said that I liked the team and that everything was interesting. Now the key weeks are approaching. The Cup and Champions League, are not about consistency, but about making few mistakes in one or two games. That implies risk. You can be eliminated almost without deserving it. You have to be prepared for these scenarios.”

 

Which Brest player might worry you tomorrow: “I think Brest’s strength is the team, not its individualities. There are players like Lees-Melou, Del Castillo… Ajorque has a way of playing that allows him to play long balls. It’s not going to be an easy match. In a short competition like the Champions League, you don’t know what’s going to happen. We’ll be ready.”

 

Fabian: “My renewal? It’s not the time to talk about it”

Fabián Ruiz, alongside Luis Enrique, appeared before the media in the run-up to the Champions League play-off return leg against Brest. The Spanish midfielder, who has established himself in Paris and is the undisputed starter for the Asturian coach, said that he feels very comfortable playing with Luis Enrique, who he does not hold any grudge against for not calling him up for the last World Cup, and he avoided a question regarding his contract renewal, two years before his contract expires.

His current high level: “I indeed had a great European Championship. This year I started a bit later than the rest of the squad, I hardly did any pre-season. Little by little, I have gained presence, I feel good physically. I always try to improve and give my best for this team.”

 

Luis Enrique said he regretted not going to the 2022 World Cup: “I have always had a good relationship with Luis Enrique. All players like to represent their country. Of course, I’m not lying to you, I would have liked to go to the World Cup. Fortunately, at that time we had very good players and the coach had to make a decision. He took me to the Euros. When he came, I knew he was one of the best coaches in Europe. I feel great gratitude to Luis Enrique because he took me to the national team for the first time.”

 

The level of the team: “It is a team in which the coach asks us to have the ball, which I think is what we all like. At least I don’t like running after the ball. It is important for the team and for the teammates to have the ball, to identify with that style. I think it is positive for the team and for me.”

If the Euros allowed him to move up the ranks: “I don’t feel like a leader, like an important part of the team. I simply try to show the best version of myself. That’s what the coach asks of me, to do what I know how to do. To repay the coach for the trust he has placed in me.”

Luis de la Fuente and Luis Enrique: “They make us play. They have similar styles and that is a positive thing for me.”

Goal-scoring efficiency: “We went through a period in the Champions League where we didn’t score goals despite creating them. That pressure disappeared. I think we scored quite a few goals. And the forwards have an easier time scoring. We try to make sure the ball reaches the forwards in the best conditions.”

Happy in Paris: “I feel very good in Paris, my family too. My renewal? It’s not the time now.”

Luis Enrique’s confidence: “I haven’t said that I don’t feel important, Luis Enrique gives me confidence. We know that we are a very good team, a very deep squad, everyone must be ready to play. That is positive for everyone. We must give our best because if not, there are players who can perform as well or better than you.”

On whether he feels that PSG’s midfield is one of the best in Europe: “For me, the best, I think the players we have are very good. They are very young, and they have a great career ahead of them, as well as a lot of room for improvement. We are in a good dynamic.”