The superstar is no longer playing on the pitch but in the dugout in the revamped Paris Saint-Germain side, which has qualified for the Champions League final this weekend.
After being fired from his previous position, PSG coach Luis Enrique has also revived his reputation by making a team that is arguably the most feared side on the continent intoarguably the most feared side.
Luis Enrique, 55, was appointed in July 2023, just two years after Lionel Messi’s disappointing two-year spell at the French national team. Then, later in the summer, Neymar left.
Spain fired the former Barcelona boss six months prior to their disappointing exit from the 2022 World Cup to Morocco in the last 16.
With his predecessors unable to achieve the success the club’s Qatari owners desired, the PSG job came off as a sort of poisoned chalice.
The team was hindered by Neymar, Messi, and Kylian Mbappe, three outstanding forwards who, by nature, didn’t care much about defending.
Luis Enrique understood he would have the opportunity to develop a team in his shape once the first two were over and Mbappe’s eventual departure was unavoidable.
Early in the season, PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi stated that “we are in the process of creating a new identity, our own style and way of playing, and a new culture.” He added that the Champions League victory was no longer something that “we are obsessed with.”
With a domestic league and cup double also in the bag, the new coach’s direction was a promising start, they still advanced to the semi-finals of Europe last year before falling to Borussia Dortmund.
The issue was that Mbappe was leaving as soon as his contract expired. The manager continued to say PSG would be better without their all-time top scorer.
In February 2024, Luis Enrique declared, “I’m convinced we’ll have a much better team than this year,” and everything will turn out well.
Even less so now that PSG chose not to sign a new striker last summer made it difficult to believe at the time.
Luis Enrique insists on playing a football style that emphasizes high-speed pressing and dominating possession.
However, his critics accuse him of being stubborn and steadfast in sticking to one method of playing despite its shortcomings.
Iago Aspas, Spain’s Iago Aspas, praised his former coach as having a very clear game plan, and when plan A failed, there was no plan B.
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Better without Mbappe
PSG had dominating games earlier this season, but they were unable to score, and Luis Enrique’s decision to stick with a traditional centre-forward appeared incorrect.
The coach’s response to an interviewer who had questioned his tactics after losing to Arsenal appeared haughty and unfavorable.
I won’t go into detail about my tactics with you. You wouldn’t comprehend, he said.
PSG was in danger of leaving the Champions League too early after losing to Bayern Munich in November, but the turnaround has been remarkable.
Before winning a dazzling tour of England against Liverpool, Aston Villa, and Arsenal, his energetic young side suffocated Manchester City.
the choice to play without a recognized nine? No issue. With 33 goals this season, he transformed winger Ousmane Dembele into a deadly finisher.
Without Mbappe, PSG are truly better, and Luis Enrique deserves a lot of praise.
He is only one game away from winning the Champions League twice, making him one game closer to joining an elite group of coaches.
His most recent success came in 2015 when he won the title with Messi, Neymar, and Luis Suarez.
“It’s always challenging to reach a Champions League final.” The Asturian claimed that not everyone who plays and coaches dreams of it.
“I did a remarkable job at Barca.” Even if some claimed that winning the Champions League with that team was simple, it wasn’t.
He spent three years in charge of Spain, including a second spell in charge of the country in 2019, when his daughter Xana passed away from bone cancer.
He now thinks that his coaching in Paris has improved as a result of his years of training.
“I now have more experience. He said, “I was very stressed before my first final.
“I hope to send a message of calm this time. Otherwise, I believe I have learned from my errors and gained the knowledge I need.
Source: Channels TV
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