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Journalist
Hungry for sport, he grew up to the sound of Formula 1 engines and the exploits of Ronaldinho. Today, with a Master's degree in sports journalism, he no longer misses an F1 Grand Prix or a PSG match, his two passions and specialties.
Saturday against RC Lens, Luis Enrique made a surprise change in his starting 11 with the start of Matvey Safonov in goal in place of Gianluigi Donnarumma. A choice which inevitably got people talking but which the PSG coach returned to at a press conference.
To face the RC Lens au Princes Park, Luis Enrique had a big surprise in his starting 11. While Gianluigi Donnarumma seemed fit to start, it's Matvey Safonov who was nevertheless the holder in the goals of PSG. After the match won by the Parisians (1-0), Luis Enrique was asked to justify this choice, and he mentions a tactical reason.
Luis Enrique justifies the Safonov choice
« Because I knew the difficulty we were going to encounter against the Lens pressure: very high pressure, one-on-one, with the goalkeeper as the only free player. And because I'm completely obsessed with the idea that all players can help the team. I want Safonov, Arnau (Tenas), Gigio (Donnarumma) to be ready to play at any time and I want that as much for the goalkeepers as for the outfield players. It's my obsession and I work on it every day. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I don't, but that's what I like. I like my players to always be ready. Today, Safonov gave us numerical superiority and I found him very good. It wasn't easy for him though and I'm very happy with his performance », explains the coach of PSG at a press conference, before being raised again on the subject.
“Safonov delivered a very complete match”
« You can create a numerical superiority when the opponent is pressing in the opposite camp, and the goalkeeper is the only free player. But he is free for a given time, because the opponent can release a central defender or a full-back to press the goalkeeper or a pivot. Which means that this statistic has no value. The important thing is that every time we needed our goalkeeper, there was a player who came out of his position and left a player free on the field. Most of the time we found ourselves in favorable situations. And when we are in favorable situations, they turn into scoring opportunities. He made no mistake: whether the ball was a little more precise or whether the attacker received it or not, this stat has no importance. I think that Safonov delivered a very complete match and that we played a very good match in this difficult context. », added Luis Enrique.
