On Saturday, during Matchday 23 of the 2025-2026 Ligue 1 season, Paris Saint-Germain (2nd) will face Metz (18th) at the Parc des Princes (kick-off at 9:05 PM, CET). On the eve of this match, PSG coach Luis Enrique answered several questions at a press conference.
Luis Enrique: “It’s a motivation.”
How do you approach this match in the middle of the Champions League? How do you manage playing time?
We’re going to approach this match against Metz as it is. It’s a very important match; we have to put pressure on Lens and win the three points. I can’t remember a match against the bottom team that wasn’t difficult. These kinds of matches are always tough. You have to be able to switch competitions and prepare for the match; we need to win the three points.
Can a team like Lens, which isn’t used to fighting for the title, have more motivation? Is being the underdog an advantage?
I don’t know, I’m not sure. We’ll have to see in the coming weeks. They’ve shown that they’re a real team. They’ve won a lot; it’s incredible. They deserve to be there. It’s a motivation for us. Three or four matches ago, we talked about how difficult it is to win this league. We’re more or less on track, but the competition is tougher. That’s motivating. We’ll need to win a lot of matches to win the league.
Luis Enrique: “We’re trying to manage each player in the best possible way.”
Are you relieved by the news about Dembélé?
It was a blow, but I think we know the players perfectly. We always have the mentality of not taking risks. We’re trying to manage each player in the best possible way. But injuries are part of top-level football, and you have to be aware of that.
Does having more competition in Ligue 1 change how you manage rotations?
What’s changing my mentality a bit this year is the number of injuries. I can’t make many changes because we’ve had an average of three injuries per match. I can rotate the squad less. This year, we have to manage that in the best possible way. But it’s different from the last two years.
What’s the main difference between this season and last season?
It’s difficult to compare teams, especially since they’re so different this season. This year is unique because we started with almost no training. I’m not making excuses for that or anything else. You have to understand that this is part of being a coach or player at PSG; you have to face these challenges. It’s unusual.
You have injuries, so there’s less rotation. But this team has shown resilience every year. You can see the performances and how we deal with problems. This resilience is hard to come by, and we have it.
Luis Enrique: “I’d like to give them a rest, but it will be difficult.”
A word on the racism incident during Benfica/Real Madrid? Is it a topic of discussion within the group?
(sigh) What I can say on that subject is that it’s nothing important.
Vitinha and Zaïre-Emery have played a lot; could they rest tomorrow?
I’m always thinking about the same thing: managing things in the best way possible. They’re the ones who have played the most. But they’re still playing, always very well. So keep it up! We need this kind of performance. I’m thinking about giving them a rest, but we have to win against Metz. And against Metz, there are always problems. There will be problems tomorrow. I’d like to give them a rest, but it will be difficult.
The quality of play has dropped this season; what can be done to get back to a top level of play?
Did you see the match on Tuesday? You want, and I understand that too, for us to win every match 4-0. But that’s impossible. For me, there’s a team that’s down 2-0 in 20 minutes and is still able to win, with the way they play, it’s incredible. I’m very happy with what I saw. There were difficulties, but we had the resilience to keep playing. It was incredible. I’m very happy to see how the players handle the challenges.
Luis Enrique: “We’ll see what happens in the future.”
How do you explain the difference in success rates between penalty kicks and shootouts in matches?
What I can say is that I know the statistics. You remind me, especially if they’re negative, all the time. I know you, no worries. We missed penalties, that’s normal. Those who miss are the ones who take them, that’s normal. We have a lot of options, a lot of players. We showed in the penalty shootout that we can win with these players.
Perhaps we don’t have a truly exceptional specialist, but we have many players who can take penalties: Vitinha, Dembélé, Doué, Ramos, Lee, Mendes, Hakimi… many players. Right now, there are a few minor issues. But we’ll overcome them with our strengths.
How is Lucas Chevalier doing now that he’s no longer the starting goalkeeper?
The mentality, the way the three goalkeepers train, it’s incredible, very impressive, very positive. I don’t know what will happen in the future. I want to reiterate to all the players that I’m very happy to have three goalkeepers of this caliber. The team is very happy. We’ll see what the future holds.
