Paris Saint-Germain defeated Le Mans 0-2 (video highlights Le Mans/PSG) on Tuesday at the Stade Marie-Marvingt in the last eight of the Coupe de France 2024-2025. After the match, Paris coach Luis Enrique spoke at a press conference. The Spaniard spoke of his side’s qualification and the return of 29-year-old defender Presnel Kimpembe.
Enrique “We can make life difficult for ourselves quite easily”.
Are you satisfied with your players’ performance on Tuesday?
“I’d like to congratulate Le Mans, coach Patrick (Videira), his players. They played at a very high level, it was difficult to play against them. Their overall level was really good. I’d like to say that this competition, which we won last season, is difficult to play in.
You can make life difficult for yourself quite easily, but I think we were a mature team. We adapted to the playing field, which wasn’t always easy. And it was a very good job.”
What are your thoughts on Presnel Kimpembe’s return?
“We all know Presnel’s situation. He’s a player we know, he’s a leader in the dressing room, he’s been through a difficult path. Fortunately, he’s had the support of his family and friends. I think it’s a happy day for him.
It was a high level, and he’s close to reaching his peak. It’s good news. It wasn’t an easy pitch to give him this playing time. I think you could see at the end of the match that there was joy on his face.”
Enrique: “The pitch was difficult for a player with such a long injury”.
Was the decision to bring him on before the match?
“I had to gather all the necessary information as the match went on to make my decision. It has to be said that the pitch didn’t lend itself very well to bringing him in, the pitch was difficult for a player who has had such a long and significant injury. His participation was good. It has to be said that there’s a lot of competition in his position, but the game he gave us was adequate.”
Enrique: “I’m not here to give minutes away as a gift”.
How do you analyze your players’ performance?
“That’s the key for any coach of a team at this level like PSG. You have to give confidence to all the players, and that’s difficult. The level is high, and it increases each time the competition progresses. You have to give them minutes to build up their confidence. But I’m not here to give minutes as a gift.
That’s not what I’m looking for. We want to win every competition, we want to go as far as possible in every competition. All the players have to be prepared. I really like this team. I want to take advantage of it to give all my players as much confidence as possible.”
Enrique «très satisfaits du résultat et des supporters incroyables que nous avons»
Did you appreciate your team’s defensive solidity?
“Le Mans could have scored a goal or two! They had the chances to and Safonov made a save in particular. It’s a tough competition, there are a lot of L1 teams that have been eliminated.”
Were you surprised by the level of this Le Mans team?
“I liked Espaly in the previous round. Le Mans is at a higher level and we didn’t come here just to walk around. It was a tough match. No team has won by more than a one-goal margin apart from us. We suffered. The level is really too close in this competition, despite the divisions. We’re very satisfied with the result and the incredible supporters we have. It’s always important and nice to have the support of the fans.”
