Before Wednesday’s FIFA Club World Cup semifinal match against his former team Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) coach Luis Enrique refused to be drawn into comparisons between his UEFA Champions League-winning squad and the one that previously featured Kylian Mbappe.
When asked if his PSG are a better team now without Mbappe, Luis Enrique said, “This is a question about the past, and I’m not here to talk about the past, I’m only thinking about the future.”
Enrique led Mbappe during his final campaign in Paris in the 2023-24 season, a turbulent year for the France captain who was initially out of the team for refusing to sign a new deal and later sparingly used once he made it clear he would leave.
Enrique stated, “Mbappe’s final season at PSG belongs in the past, it is behind us now,” adding.
The Spanish coach acknowledged that facing his ex-star player adds spice to the encounter, claiming that it is “definitely extra motivation” to play against “the most successful team in the world.”
After temperatures in Tuesday’s semifinal between Chelsea and Fluminense soared past 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) and over 54 percent humidity, a National Weather Service issued a warning, PSG will once again have to deal with brutal conditions in New Jersey.
“We’re adjusting to it,” the statement read. Because that’s what was customary during the World Cup, playing in these circumstances. Luis Enrique stated that business will continue as usual. Because of the difficulty of playing in that position, it’s not good for the spectacle. For both teams, everything is the same.
The former Barcelona boss relishes the high-stakes encounter despite the challenging circumstances.
No doubt about it, playing against Real Madrid will be a special match. We enjoy playing these kinds of games because it indicates that you have performed well and are in a position to advance to the semifinals, he said.
After the Premier League side defeated Fluminense 2-0 on Tuesday, the winner will face Chelsea in the final, where Joao Pedro scored twice.
Source: Aljazeera
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