On Tuesday, Paris Saint-Germain faced Liverpool at Anfield in the return leg of the Champions League 2024-2025 Round of 16. Former 1998 World Champion Emmanuel Petit spoke to RMC Sport after England’s penalty shoot-out victory (1-1 on aggregate, then 1-4 in the TAB Liverpool/PSG video highlights). He was keen to defend Luis Enrique, pointing out that the victory was first and foremost a feat of arms by the Parisian coach.
Petit “There’s a kind of serenity
“There’s a kind of serenity and who’s responsible for that? I think it’s Luis Enrique and his staff. He set the framework. He has a tough management style, which has sometimes been hard to understand, even for the players. When I see Luis Enrique’s celebration at the end of the match, where he jumps into the arms of the players and it’s mutual, a lot of us owe him an apology.”
Since the start of the season, and even last year, many people have been skeptical about Luis Enrique. The criticism has been profound, on his game, on his temperament, on his communication. Yet his PSG is one of the best we’ve seen in recent years. The collective is there, and victory over Europe’s best team is an incredible feat for him and Paris.
Petit is right, people used to take offence at not understanding the Spanish coach’s style of play, but today his team is proving that hard work pays off, and nobody can say that Luis Enrique’s touch is invisible. He has given his team heart and solidarity, in addition to the overall talent perfectly exploited by this young team.
