On Wednesday, in a rescheduled match from Matchday 29 of the 2025-2026 Ligue 1 season, Paris Saint-Germain (1st) will face Lens (2nd) at the Stade Bollaert (kick-off at 9 pm, CET). On the eve of this match, PSG coach Luis Enrique answered several questions at a press conference.
Luis Enrique: “It will be a very entertaining match. Each team will want to show their level.”
Is this match against Lens preparation for the Champions League final? Or will it be a major squad rotation?
My thoughts on the match are that both teams are approaching this moment with similar circumstances. They have the Coupe de France final to play (on May 22nd), and we will be playing the Champions League final. So the playing time tomorrow will be different. Each player needs to be informed. I think Pierre Sage will do the same as me: enjoy tomorrow’s match. It’s a celebration for football, with the two best teams facing off. It will be a very entertaining match. Each team will want to show their level.
Lens has also been competitive in the UNFP Trophies; are you expecting the same tomorrow? Will you savor the title if you win?
Lens’s run has been highlighted all season. Of course, at the start of the season, nobody imagined this. This is the first time in my three years here that a team has really posed a problem. It’s been motivating and very difficult. They’ve shown their level. They deserve to be in the Champions League, their fourth time, I believe. We want to enjoy a very high-level match against a Champions League team. It’s a great test. Congratulations to coach Pierre Sage for the way the team is playing.
Luis Enrique: “Playing for PSG is a responsibility. I see this match as a celebration.”
13 days between the last match and the final, does that bother you?
It’s important to know how to manage the two remaining matches. The one against Lens requires a short rest period. Medically, there are some absentees, and other players need to play regularly. We’ll manage as best we can individually, as we have all season. We’ll show tomorrow what kind of team we are.
Playing for PSG is a responsibility. I see this match as a celebration, in one of the best stadiums in France in terms of atmosphere. This is the best preparation for the final. For the next 13 days, that’s how it is. We’re going to prepare. We’re going to try to play a match the weekend before the final. We’re going to prepare our training load. When your goal is to play in the final, you have to prepare.
Luis Enrique: “You need a team that plays all the time and looks to seize opportunities to show its quality.”
The infirmary is full, is Hakimi and Chevalier progressing well?
There’s a medical expert who’s better than me, I don’t want to give any information to my opponents.
28 goals scored by substitutes, that’s the highest in Europe. Is that important?
It’s clear that to win important trophies, to keep winning, you need a team that plays all the time and looks to seize opportunities to show its quality. With our squad rotation, we were able to win league matches. If you see how we’ve managed this unusual year, the players who play less have been even more key than usual.
Luis Enrique: “Congratulations to Pierre Sage, he deserves it for the incredible work he’s done at Lens.”
Happy that Doué and Dembélé won UNFP Trophies? Why didn’t you come?
I never go to these kinds of ceremonies; I prefer to stay home and study Arsenal. I’m very happy to see the PSG players; it’s well deserved. Those who win deserve it. I’m very happy with the level of the team and the players. Congratulations to Pierre Sage; he deserves it with his incredible work at Lens.
Eric Roy said he likes you and your team. You’ve received other tributes; even some Marseille fans are hoping PSG will win the Champions League. How does it feel to have brought people together?
I think it’s very positive. Eric Roy has always spoken highly of us; he’s someone I like very much. He also won the trophy when Brest qualified for the Champions League. It’s always positive to have recognition, not just for victories but for the way we win. We appreciate these opinions; we’re happy to see them. And I think it’s deserved because we always try to respect our opponents. Even Marseille, our biggest rival. We’re in a positive moment, it’s very positive to feel this way.
PSG criticized for a lack of support for Christophe Gleizes?
I can’t comment on that, I’m a football coach.
Luis Enrique “has the technical and physical ability to know what to do with and without the ball.”
Ruiz’s return to form?
Fabian Ruiz is a player who seems like one thing, but he’s the opposite. He seems slow, but he’s the fastest player on the pitch. What he brings to the team is the technical and physical ability to know what to do with and without the ball. He showed what he brings after three months of injury. I’m very happy to have him back. You have to manage your playing time. He’s played a lot. I’m very happy; we have almost all the players ready. I think the injuries will heal by the end. That’s positive.
What’s your assessment of your three years at PSG? Can you be proud of the Luis Enrique who signed for Paris?
I’m always proud, especially when I lose. When we win, it’s easy. I represent my family, and that’s the best.
