It was Luis Enrique who did not try to call into question Bayern’s victory who presented himself at a press conference after the match. The Parisian coach did not like his players’ first period at all, nor did the expulsion which heavily penalized his team. But the PSG coach is already looking to the future, both in the short and long term. Here are his full remarks, translated by us.
What is your analysis of the match: was it a deserved defeat?
“We were very far from Bayern Munich in the first half”
“My analysis of the match tells me that we were very far from Bayern Munich in the first half. At no time did we know how to surpass the Munich dry cleaners. They recovered the ball too easily. Our pressing wasn’t really good either. We were very inferior to Bayern Munich during this first period. There were some reasons for hope at the start of the second half. We generated a little more danger during the first 15-20 minutes, then the sending off came and reduced everything to nothing. This is a serious mistake on our part. Playing with ten men against Bayern makes things very difficult. However, we stayed in the match until the end. But Bayern deserved their victory. Without a doubt. All decisions taken are my responsibility and I accept them with great peace of mind. »
To continue regarding the goalkeepers, could Arnau Tenas also join the dance after the unconvincing performances of Gianluigi Donnarumma and Matvey Safonov?
“I chose to play Safonov to overcome Bayern’s pressure”
“My goal with all the players on my squad is to keep all my players ready to play the upcoming match. I chose to play Safonov to overcome Bayern’s pressure and generate an initial superiority on the restart. Losses are always embarrassing and hurt, but they give me a lot of information about which players will be able to play here in the future, if there is a future. I repeat it but it gives me interesting, necessary information to continue our journey together, or not. »
Before and after the goal your team conceded, you looked very angry. What caused this anger, the referee?
“(He has the question clarified by the translator present at his side) I have nothing to say concerning the referee, as I have always done in my career as a coach. I wasn’t angry but rather frustrated because I never saw my team able to change the game during the first period. »
Your team conceded its third defeat in five matches in the Champions League. Do you still have confidence in a potential qualification?
“You talk to me about three defeats, but I tell you there are three matches left to play”
“You talk to me about three defeats, but I tell you there are three matches left to play. We have to win them because, otherwise, it is entirely possible that we will not qualify. We knew it was going to be difficult from the draw, and, on top of that, we lost points at home against teams who played worse than us. Now, on the attack to play these three matches. »
What do you mean when you say “if there is a future”? Are you talking about your players or yours?
“I talk about the future in general, to know that every PSG match in this project is very important. It is this information (the judgment he draws from each match) that we will need so that in the future, this team will be stronger from year to year. This is a future that I envision to make us stronger from year to year. All things serve me. All decisions are mine and my responsibility. But what happens in these big matches allows me to see which players are playing well, who’s level is dropping, who is progressing. »
You talk about a project under construction, but in a club like PSG do we have the time to do it despite the pressure?
“I want to be competitive now”
“Being PSG coach is a great privilege. Know that the pressure I put on myself is greater than that of anyone. I’m not here just to pass the time, and I think that was already the case with my predecessors. I want to win matches and titles with my team. I’m not thinking about titles that will come in the future, but those of the year. I want to be competitive right now. But all information is useful, that’s clear. »
