PSG vs Strasbourg - Luis Enrique pre-match press conference

It is a relaxed Luis Enrique, but who did not want to confirm his extension, who spoke at a press conference this Friday ahead of PSG vs Strasbourg.

The Spanish coach was particularly asked about several individual cases such as Presnel Kimpembe, Randal Kolo Muani, Warren Zaire-Emery, and Nuno Mendes. Here are his full comments ahead of this Ligue 1 McDonald's match.

Several media outlets are reporting your extension at PSG. Can you confirm this and, if so, what convinced you?

“Hello. As long as there is no official statement, I have nothing to say on the subject.”

It is known that in your daily life, you pay attention to every detail in managing your group. How do you warn your players about their outings and private lives?

“What are you referring to?”

Regarding your daily management of the outings, your players may have, whether for their private lives or sometimes for club representations...

“I am the coach of a football team, not their father. I am a father, but I take care of my children. I am the coach of a football team. I manage a football team and players. Private life belongs to those directly involved and their families.”

Kolo Muani stood out with the French team during the break. Could this change your view of him? Will he get a bit more playing time with you?

“It is always good news for me as a coach that my international players have good results, play well, score goals, and defend well. The better they perform for their national teams, the better it is for me and my team, of course.”

Warren Zaire-Emery is a starter at PSG. He is going through a slightly less good period this season. How can you help him regain his best form?

“Warren? He has been superb at the start of the season, at least for me. He may have been slightly below his level in the last match (against Nice), but so was the whole team, especially in the first half. Otherwise, I believe we have the best Warren from last season.”

Kimpembe has returned to team training in recent days. Do you know when he will be able to play again, and what can he bring to your team?

“The reality is that no one knows how long it may take because it is always difficult to predict or assess. But what I can say is that I will be very happy if Kimpembe can help us.

He is already helping us in training with his personality, experience, and footballing qualities, and it is a real pleasure to have him. I am very happy to see that he is nearing the end of this journey.”

PSG's schedule looks busy in the next 2-3 weeks with clashes in Ligue 1 as well as the Champions League. Is this a turning point in the season, and how do you approach it?

“I see this as a perfect moment for us because it means we are playing the competitions we want to play. It is a usual time for us. We need to get used to this as soon as possible because we hope it will be this way in the coming years.”

Since the start of the season, Liam Rosenior has been doing very well with his team. What attitude should your team adopt tomorrow to have a comfortable evening?

“A comfortable match against Strasbourg, I can assure you that will not happen. I have already warned my players. It will not be easy because Strasbourg is a team with many quality players. I believe it is the youngest team in Ligue 1 history.

With the mentality of their coach and the way he views football, it is a team that scores a lot of goals, is very dangerous, does not speculate, presses high, and has no problem playing one-on-one.

So it will not be an easy match, but a very difficult and fiercely contested one. I think there will be chances for both teams.”

Can you explain the role of Nuno Mendes in your setup? And can you tell us what progression you would like him to make in relation to his qualities and your system?

“It is very easy to define. He is a full-back with top technical and physical qualities, with, in my opinion, a good understanding of the game and still a large margin for improvement. He is still very young, even though he has been playing at the highest level for several years.

For him, we are trying to find an attacking and defensive positioning that can contribute as much as possible to the team. When he attacks, he is a player who makes a difference thanks to his speed, quality, and crosses.

I hope to bring him positive things so that he can develop as a player both offensively and defensively, but we are talking about an exceptional and remarkable player, of course.”

Ligue 1 has presented a new trophy for the French champion. What do you think about this, and do you think Ligue 1 needs to renew its image?

“I did not understand well, are you talking about a new trophy? I have not seen it yet, sorry. Are there photos? Can you show me? (The journalist shows it to him on his phone). Ah, it’s a World Cup! Very nice, I like it. The most important thing is to win it, and to do that you have to deserve it.”

Can you talk to us about your management of young future talents like Barcola, Mendes, or Doue? Supporters and even the media want to see them play very quickly, right away. You have a management style, you play them progressively? Can you talk to us about that?

“It’s quite simple. The progression of a player is never linear. There are ups and downs. So it is very important when you are in a good moment not to believe that you are a unique player. And conversely, when things are not going well, do not believe that you are an ordinary player.

All the players in this squad have many qualities. Not all will be able to progress because that is how football works. But the response the team gave at the beginning of the season, from a general perspective, is very positive and even more positive than I expected.

And this progression of players, with some taking on more responsibilities, indicates that we are on the right track. We are not going to focus on just one player because I repeat, this progression is not linear.

Of course, if I were a PSG supporter, I would like to see the young players and all these quality players play every match, but there is not enough space for everyone. I have enough experience to manage this in the best possible way for the team.”

Mental health has long been a taboo subject, but that is less the case now. How are you doing mentally? How do you manage the mental aspect on a daily basis?

“Fortunately, it is no longer a taboo subject. To work at the psychological level, it is obviously necessary that the player has the capacity and the desire to face this work.

Generations pass, and today’s youth are different from those of our time. Adapting to what the player needs is very important. But this is not something that is free or easy. Each player also needs to want to improve in these areas.”

Many players have been called up during the break? Will you incorporate players tomorrow who have had a bit less playing time, or will you keep your core midfielders in particular?

“For tomorrow, it is important to have a broader view of what is coming next. Taking into account the minutes played in the national team, the travel, the fatigue.

It is obvious that tomorrow's lineup will clearly be conditioned by all these important elements, knowing that we need to win this match tomorrow. It will not be easy, and it is never easy to play just after the international break.”

Has the group’s confidence been affected by recent results?

“I repeat, but a season is never linear. There are good moments and more complicated periods. At the moment, I do not think we have experienced a bad period this season.

We would all like to win every match, but that is not possible in football. I see the team in a good dynamic. We will have six very important matches in three weeks, whether in Ligue 1 or in the Champions League.

We are very motivated and well prepared to see our supporters at the Parc des Princes tomorrow and try to have a very good match.”