On Wednesday, during the 10th matchday of Ligue 1 2025-2026, Paris Saint-Germain (1st) will face Lorient (16th) at the Stade du Moustoir (kick-off at 7 p.m., CET). On the eve of this match, Paris coach Luis Enrique answered several questions at a press conference.
Luis Enrique: “I can appreciate this quality in most of our players.”
How does the match against Bayern in a week’s time influence your approach to the two upcoming matches against Lorient and Nice?
Obviously, we’re preparing for tomorrow’s match. You can’t think too much about the next matches when everything can change. We have to try to control what we can, which is tomorrow’s game.
Where does your love of versatility come from?
I wasn’t looking for it. I like players who are different from me, it’s not a reference point. But after being a coach for a long time and being involved in this project, I think this ability is very important. We see it every time we have injuries: we have players who can play in different positions and play positively. As a coach here in Paris, I can appreciate this quality in most of our players. It’s very positive for me.
Luis Enrique: “It’s great news to have players back.”
Neves, Ruiz, and Marquinhos were in training. How will you manage the squad until the clash with Bayern?
We’re looking to control tomorrow’s game. It’s great news to have players back; it’s important for us. I hope to have all the players back as soon as possible.
How would you assess Doué’s progress over the past year? What areas need improvement?
Players have ups and downs, but we can see that they are improving. We want to win titles, so it’s important to recognize that players go through different phases. It’s important to manage that as a team.
Luis Enrique: “It’s difficult to be an important player at PSG.”
Is Beraldo a better defender than when he arrived?
I hope so (smiles). I hope so for all the players. What we’re looking for as coaches is to improve the team and the players. Beraldo is very young, he has a lot of experience, a contrasting personality. He’s a player I particularly like for his ability to play with the ball and defend intelligently. At the moment, he’s not playing as much as he’d like, but that’s how it is in this team. It’s difficult to be an important player at PSG.
Did you have doubts when you arrived at PSG? Did you expect it to be this good?
The first thing to do when you arrive is to set your goals. Right now, it’s not the time to think about what we’ve done. It’s time to enjoy ourselves and focus on staying competitive, playing good soccer, and winning trophies. We’re happy with what we’ve achieved, but now is the time to be very ambitious and aim to win all the trophies we can.
Luis Enrique: “When you think about helping the team regardless of position, it’s different.”
Could this new trip lead to rotation?
We’re looking to balance things out and give all the players some playing time. There are opportunities. It will be a difficult game in Lorient. We’re looking to manage things based on our team, with the players’ minutes.
How do you bring this versatility to the games?
It’s important to get players out of their comfort zone. When you ask a player where he wants to play, he chooses here or there. But he’s talking about himself. When you open your mind to the team, it’s a different world. When you think about helping the team regardless of position, it’s different.
You step outside your comfort zone. We are a good example of a team that is constantly changing and moving around based on our teammates. It’s nice to see that we are doing something positive for the team.
Luis Enrique: “He’s a leader, he’s the captain.”
Marquinhos is approaching 500 games for PSG. Would you like to see him score more often?
He’s very strong on set pieces and has scored a lot of goals. We know him well, and everyone is aware of his qualities. It’s a real pleasure to have a player with his experience and ambition. He’s a leader and the captain. We’re happy to see him play so many games. But he can improve, like everyone else. He has the mentality for it. We’re very happy to have him on the team.
Luis Enrique: “I try to manage based on what I think is best for the team.”
Is there no longer any competition for the goalkeeper position?
It depends (smiles). If today’s performance is good, we’ll see tomorrow. I try to manage based on what I think is best for the team. No one has a fixed position; it all depends on what we think is best for the team.
A word about young David Boly (16-year-old right back), could he be called up tomorrow?
Several players can help the team. We plan to change the team during the season; it will be a habit. It’s nice to see them in the first team dynamic. There’s Boly, but also other players.
Could Neves and Ruiz play tomorrow?
All the players who are called up can play. They are almost fully recovered, which is always positive for us.
