Luis Enrique responds to “rumors and lies” before Auxerre-PSG

A dogmatic trainer : “I do not intend to define my work, nor to judge it, to justify it.”

Tensions between him and the Parisian locker room : “It's curious… The locker room is magnificent, exceptional, with a very high human level, the professional level is excellent, I have often sung the praises of the team. I will not respond to rumors and lies. It's not up to me to come and justify this or that. Once again, the team is truly magnificent, nothing to add so far.”

If he is bothered by rumors of tensions : “I've been in football for more than 30 years already… I'm not going to waste my energy on what people around me say, it's not my battle. What is important is representing my team, my club. When I talk about washing dirty laundry in the locker room (he said it after Nantes), I mean you won't hear me say bad things about a player publicly. If I have to do it, it will be in the locker room. I try to do my job as best as possible. But I'm not going to get into speculation about lies, rumors… I don't know who cares, but not me anyway. I will continue to do my job. I must admit that it really affects me very little, zero. I learned about these rumors around PSG because the press service told me about them during the preliminary meeting. It's sad because all of this is false. But there are things that sell paper… I am very happy with the work I do and I focus on what I can control”.

The returns of Presnel Kimpembe and Lucas Hernandez : “These are players who are coming back. Lucas Hernandez is fully reinstated with the team. For Presnel Kimpembe, he has also overcome this injury. He now has to adapt to the team, to the rhythm. This is very good news, we are happy that he can help us. Now he is missing taking the time necessary to be able to help the team. But these returns are excellent news. The injuries are in the past. Now it's the team's rehabilitation phase. This is very good news. Gonçalo (Ramos) has already been there, he made his return to the game (in Munich). We are very happy with this good news”.

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It’s a season that remains very good.

Luis Enrique

If PSG is in doubt : “It’s a season that remains very good. We made mistakes, we analyzed them throughout the season. I see significant progress in the team, I even find the problems encountered in the Champions League positive because it does not represent the reality of what I see from the team. These problems will make us improve. There is nothing better to push yourself than to suffer and struggle to win matches. For the rest, what I see, what the players transmit in training, is positive.

The Club World Cup : “It will be a very attractive competition for everyone who will play it. A Club World Cup will be exciting. Who is the best Brazilian club that will be at the World Cup? Botafogo? Well for sure, we will have Botafogo. I can almost guarantee it.”

Désiré Doué : “How old is Désiré Doué? 19 years old. He is a player who has a lot of quality. He is already a player for the present, he has played almost all the matches, but he needs time to adapt. He's a player that I adore. He can play outside or inside, he has strong dribbling skills, he is strong physically, defensively… But that doesn't mean he can already play as a starter. My obsession is always to create competition so that no one rests on their laurels. I don't like quiet, relaxed players… No, I like intensity, in training and in matches. Intensity and quality work, it’s mathematical. But there needs to be competition. For Doué, no problem, I like what I see, but I want more. it still lacks something more to adapt. When will he do it? Nobody knows. If he succeeds, if he manages to adapt 100%, that's the difficulty, but we have a lot of confidence in him.

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I am the coach that I am. I could do better. But I like this version of myself.

Luis Enrique

Management too harsh for some at PSG : “With the press you mean? (the journalist specifies that his question related to the press and the players) With you, I have no concessions to make, I know what I want to convey, how to convey it. If you like it or not, I don't care. For the rest, I am the same person, the one who started 30 years ago, I tried to be honest with myself, to give everything. Now that I'm a coach, I try to generate the highest competition possible. The rest are comments, inventions, lies sometimes, but they become rumors by repeating them. I didn't come to answer that. I am the coach that I am. I could do better. But I like this version of myself.”

Auxerre : “They are a team that performs well at home, they have won a lot of matches and are having a very good time. They use changes of orientation very well to create problems, with three attackers and particularly the wingers who are very dangerous and score goals. It will be a complicated match because they are on a good dynamic. It will be difficult, there is no doubt about it.”

Les titis : “We are always open to all the players at the training center, quality players. We test them, we bring a few in training so that they adapt to the needs of the team. The squad is already young. But central players should be given the opportunity when they are prepared. They must first train for months. And when this preparation bears fruit, it's time to give them minutes in matches. You shouldn't be in too much of a hurry or wait too long. We must remain attentive to players like Boli, Sangaré, Tape… These players have quality. They belong to us. We're going to use them. When ? It will depend on their performance over the months and the needs of the team.

Comments collected at a press conference

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