On Saturday, during Matchday 14 of the 2025-2026 Ligue 1 season, Paris Saint-Germain (1st) will face Monaco (8th) at the Stade Louis II (kick-off at 5 pm, CET). On the eve of this match, PSG coach Luis Enrique answered several questions at a press conference.
Luis Enrique: “I saw Ndjantou’s performance, I know he has the level and he will have other opportunities.”
Why did Ndjantou start against Tottenham? Is he fully integrated into the rotation? Why didn’t Mayulu start?
Because it’s my job. Ndjantou was very good, he has many qualities, he can play anywhere. Every time a player comes onto the pitch, those are minutes that I value and carefully assess. He was ready. I like it when there are different options. It’s important for the team to know that we have different options.
I like Senny Mayulu, of course. He’s improved even more. I like rotation, having different solutions. I saw Ndjantou’s performance; I know he’s good enough and he’ll have other opportunities.
Luis Enrique: “There’s no concern, but it’s important to change that.”
How do you manage things on a daily basis to stay motivated in football? You mentioned fatigue in front of the press.
After a match, I’m so tired that it’s difficult to handle the press conference. For a player, it’s different. Every match is an opportunity to be in shape. The training sessions are mainly for recovery; they’re light. We like being at this level; we like being at PSG, playing every three days. It means you’re in a very high-level team.
Did you talk with Lucas Hernandez about the red card?
It’s top-level sport; you can have experience, but there are situations you have to manage in less than a second. Of course, we talked. He’s a very important player on the team; everyone helps him. It’s important to understand his mindset. I’m happy with him; he needs to change that. There’s no real concern, but it’s important to change that.
Luis Enrique: “Who scores is irrelevant.”
Concerned about the strikers’ lack of effectiveness and the goals coming from midfielders?
We’re one of the teams that scores the most, and I’m happy about that. It’s not important to know who scores, but to see who wins. That’s very important for the team. The important thing is to score and provide assists as a team. Who scores is irrelevant.
Luis Enrique: “I’m happy with how we managed this to find a top Vitinha.”
How would you judge Vitinha’s performance against Tottenham? Is he among the best in Europe? Does he still have room for improvement?
You seem to like rankings a lot. If we’re going to judge his level, we have to look at previous seasons. We have to see how he’s changed the way we attack, the way we manage the game. It’s wonderful for me to have a player of his caliber. He wants to play every day, so sometimes we have to rein him in.
We’ve managed how he plays to change a lot of things in the past. We’ve thought about this position; he’s different from Busquets. They’re both among the best in the world, but in different ways. I’m happy with how we managed this to find a top Vitinha, but at the same time, to have the ability to play as a team.
Luis Enrique: “It’s a Champions League match.” “
What are your thoughts on AS Monaco and Paul Pogba’s return?
It’s great news when a player of his caliber comes back, I wish him all the best. Monaco is a team more or less like us, with very high-level players. They play very well, I like their style. I haven’t had an easy match in Monaco. We’ve always had to fight hard to get the result. We’ll have to defend with our best form. It’s a Champions League match.
Does it add pressure to play before or after the other teams?
It’s the same thing. I like playing at 5 pm, but also at 9 pm, there’s no problem, no worries. When you’re at a club like PSG, you play every three days. We don’t want excuses, we want results.
Luis Enrique: ‘Right now, he needs to recover.’
Is Nuno Mendes ready to play tomorrow?
No, he won’t be there.” It’s a concern for every player. When he says he has a problem, we pay attention. Nuno Mendes spoke about it at halftime. We’re calm and collected. There’s no time to dwell on it. If it were a final, he’d want to play. But right now, he needs to recover. We’ll see after a week if he’ll be available against Rennes.
How have you improved your set pieces?
We’ve improved a lot offensively and defensively, but it’s no different from other teams. We’ve scored a lot of goals, both direct and indirect, which gives us different opportunities. It’s a good statistic. But we need to improve in the decisive moments.
