In an interview with L’Équipe, former AS Roma sporting director Walter Sabatini paid tribute to Luis Enrique (55, coach of Paris Saint-Germain). He considers him to be the best coach he has ever worked with, ahead of the likes of Fabio Capello and Luciano Spalletti, and praises his spectacular work at PSG, particularly during the 5-0 Champions League final victory.
Sabatini “His problem is that he opposed Francesco Totti and here, if you question Totti, you’re dead”.
“The best coach (he) has ever met in (his) life. And I’ve also known Fabio Capello (at Jiangsu Suning), Rudi Garcia and Luciano Spalletti. He was a hard-working man with clear ideas. His problem was that he opposed Francesco Totti, and here, if you question Totti, you’re dead. But when I saw PSG and the mentality of the players, it was clear that Luis Enrique was the coach. He did an absolutely incredible job. 5-0 in the final is unheard of.»
For Walter Sabatini, Luis Enrique is the embodiment of a demanding and modern coaching profession. He recalls that, right from his time at Roma, the Spaniard impressed with his commitment and the clarity of his ideas, even if his Italian adventure was cut short by an inevitable conflict with Francesco Totti, the club’s true icon. Perhaps this is why he is now calling for a younger team, with players who are “less iconic” but more malleable.
Today, Sabatini sees in Paris Saint-Germain the full expression of Luis Enrique’s philosophy: intense pressing, collective discipline and a winning mentality. The stunning 5-0 victory in the Champions League final, an unprecedented scoreline at this level, symbolizes the impact the Spanish coach has had on the Parisian club.
For Sabatini, there is no doubt that Luis Enrique has transformed PSG into a winning machine, uniting players and staff around an ambitious project and leaving a lasting imprint on the club’s history.
