On Tuesday evening, Luis Enrique spoke in French on Canal+ following his side’s qualification for the semi-finals of the Champions League 2024-2025 against Aston Villa. A small event that prompted L’Equipe to take a closer look at the coach’s learning process and the importance he attaches to the language spoken in-house.
“L’Asturien has set himself the goal of eventually speaking French to the press”
“L’Asturien has set himself the goal of eventually speaking French to the press, but he hasn’t set a deadline. He’s understood it for some time (he’s been grasping the meaning of conversations for almost a year) and takes it seriously. This means he can debrief his speeches to grasp the nuance of this or that word.
In his first few months, Luis Enrique spoke mainly in Spanish. Particularly for all the tactical sessions, where he wanted to be precise and make himself clearly understood. Two members of staff would then translate his instructions.
“In front of the group, he expresses himself more and more in French”
Generally speaking, in front of the group, he expresses himself more and more in French, with the exception, for example, of an urgent instruction at half-time. This is also part of his desire to make interactions more fluid: all the players in the squad take French lessons. In small groups, on the other hand, he adapts to his audience.
It may seem like just a detail, but it contributes to the bond between the players and the club, as well as the fans. It’s also a way of having a group that lives together with a common language, which facilitates cohesion and avoids having some who feel left out.
It’s a nice change from a PSG with players who were there for several years and didn’t really seem to progress in the local language. Nothing too serious, but it’s a point that can count for something. And irritating. Here, we have the idea of a group that is fully committed to Paris.
Of course, it takes time and everyone can be more shy in front of the press. There, every word can be over-interpreted and take on a terrible importance when there has been a poor choice of word. So caution makes sense. But there are more and more French interviews, and it’s safe to assume that coach Luis Enrique will soon be launching into a press conference.
