On Monday, as part of Matchday 3 of the 2025 Club World Cup group stage, Paris Saint-Germain (1st) take on the Seattle Sounders (11th) at Lumen Field (kick-off 9pm CET, broadcast on DAZN). On the eve of the match, Paris coach Luis Enrique answered a number of questions at a press conference.
Luis Enrique “It’s a motivation. We’re ready for the moment.”
What state of mind were the players in after the defeat to Botafogo? What could be improved?
First of all, I think we’ve come at the best time of the competition. Because we have to win to move forward, and that’s nice. That’s motivation. We’re ready for the moment.
As for Botafogo, we played our usual game, and I don’t think we deserved to lose. But that’s soccer and you have to accept it. They defended very well. We had some complications, but the team was at a good level and we have to keep going.
Marquinhos said there can be a kind of decompression after a big title. Can that happen to you?
I don’t know about that. We have to accept this schedule and prepare as best we can. The competition is very attractive and very motivating. It only happens once every 4 years. It’s a very important competition and we have to think about that to find the motivation to show our level.
Does the team feel energized or stressed at the idea of going out?
The team’s in a good place right now, with the same mentality as always. We’ve done 3 training sessions perfectly, with intensity. I know we’re ready. We’re going to try to bring the match to our best characteristics, how to manage the ball and press. We’re ready and we’re going to play a good match.
Luis Enrique “we’ll see how he feels.”
Have you been surprised by your discoveries in other soccer cultures?
It’s nice to see different styles of play. But when we play, we always see the same thing in our opponents: a low block, everyone defending. We accept that. But I’ve seen matches where it’s not totally different. There are different ways of approaching a match, but no big surprises.
Is Dembélé ready to play against Seattle?
He’s started training with the team, so tomorrow we’ll see how he feels. I don’t like taking risks with players. We’ll see.
What have you been working on this week?
The way we work is the same all the time. There are things we can improve on, but it all comes down to our ability to play effectively and finish. As you know, all season long we’ve been trying to figure out how to manage a low block as a team. I think Botafogo were the team that defended best against us, but we’re used to that.
Luis Enrique “That’s what worries me”.
How do you deal with defeat? Is that when you make the players understand things best?
The team knows how it plays, it knows its strengths. A defeat isn’t the most important thing, it’s knowing where we are in the competition. It’s very important that we pay attention from the outset. If we don’t win, we could be eliminated. And we want to keep going.
If we’re able to move forward, I hope we’ll see a better version of the team. That’s what worries me, more than a defeat, a result that I don’t think we deserved. I think we did enough to earn a draw.
How difficult is it to prepare against a team like Seattle? They’re a team that knows each other very well.
They’re a team in the middle of their season, with a very high tempo. It’s going to be a tough match, as we saw against Atlético and Botafogo. They have the quality to get out of the pressure. The most important thing is to take the match and show that we’re better. It’s good to say it, but we have to show it. We’re delighted to be here, it’s a beautiful stadium. It’s going to be a great match.
Luis Enrique: “The team has shown that it can play great soccer. That’s the objective tomorrow.”
A small final? Did you think you’d be in this situation?
It’s normal in a competition like this. It’s very short and it’s normal to play everything out in the 3rd match. As usual, we have to think about playing each match in the same way. We need to show that we know how to manage the match.
Any specific areas for improvement?
Of course, we can improve our intensity with and without the ball. Some important choices, pressure, ball management. A lot of things. But it’s still the same idea of the game and I think the team has shown that it can play great soccer. That’s what we’re aiming for tomorrow.
Botafogo celebrated the victory like a competition. Brazil is happy with what their teams have shown. What’s your vision? Can it change Europe’s view of Brazilian soccer?
I don’t know why there’s so much desire to know which soccer is better, what other people think. There are so many South American players in European teams. That’s the way it is, they travel to Europe.
But there’s a top level in South America, that’s very clear. There’s no doubt about the level. We’re delighted to have these players in our teams. We’re determined to go as far as we can in this very tough competition.
Luis Enrique “They can still qualify, it will be a big and difficult game.”
What do you know about this team?
We’ve analyzed them well, even though a lot of teams adapt against us in order to defend as well as possible. From what I’ve seen, this is a team that works very well and knows how to play. There’s no doubt about it, it’s going to be an unpredictable game. Everything can change very quickly, with a red card or a goal. Whether it’s fair or not, that’s soccer. They can still qualify, but it will be a big and difficult match.
What tactical changes do you need to make to win the Champions League?
It takes a whole documentary… What I’m trying to do is to help my players progress collectively and individually. When the results come in, that’s great. Otherwise, you get criticized. That’s part of the job. I like to keep things under control, that’s one of my objectives. I’m also always trying to improve the team, that’s what motivates me. I want the players to get out of their comfort zone.
