In a documentary on Movistar + dedicated to Luis Enrique’s first season at PSG, which will be broadcast next Monday, the Parisian technician was filmed questioning the playing style of Xavi’s FC Barcelona during their confrontation in Champions League last spring.
The scene dates back to last April. Beaten by FC Barcelona (3-2) at the Parc des Princes during a Champions League quarter-final first leg, PSG was preparing for the return contested the following week in Catalonia. As revealed in a Movistar documentary on Luis Enrique, the technician of the Parisian club was quite confident about the chances of overthrowing Barça.
“Barça is not a dominant team and they are not a good defensive team. They do not have defensive quality,” Luis Enrique told his staff, before this quarter-final return. “They just swing. Ter Stegen broke the record for long passes. They play like Eibar.”
Trailing 1-0 in the return on a goal from Raphinha (12th), PSG finally qualified by winning 4-1. The red card inflicted on Ronald Araujo (29th) was the turning point of the game. The Parisians’ European journey ended in the next round, with elimination against Borussia Dortmund in the semi-finals.
In front of the media, Luis Enrique declared on the sidelines of the confrontation that he “better represents the style of Barça than Xavi”. “It’s not an opinion,” assured the ex-technician of the Catalan club. “You can look at the statistics, the data: ball possession, goals, high pressing, look at the titles, look at the trophies. It’s me, without a doubt,”
