Luis Enrique, coach of Paris Saint-Germain, spoke to Sky Sport Italia after the 2-1 win (3-1 on aggregate) over Arsenal (PSG/Arsenal video highlights) this Wednesday at the Parc des Princes as part of the return semi-finals of the Champions League 2024-2025 (final on May 31). He spoke of the importance of 26-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and the final against Inter Milan.
Luis Enrique “it’s important to have a goalkeeper like him.”
“Donnarumma was fantastic, incredible. Just like in the first leg. He was fantastic. Our team is built to attack and defend far from goal, but when you have to defend, it’s important to have a keeper like him. Especially from set-pieces, he was fantastic.
Luis Enrique “another team shares our goal.”
As in the first leg, I repeat. And we’re delighted!
Our aim is to make history. And to do that, we need to win the Champions League. We’ll have that opportunity, and it’ll be difficult, because another team shares our objective.”
Donnarumma has come in for a lot of criticism for the slightest “misstep”, with even “mistakes” according to observers who aren’t even “mistakes”. Some wanted to push him out and dreamed of a mercato to strengthen their ranks.
But it takes a lot of bad faith not to recognize that Donnarumma is a great goalkeeper. Not perfect, of course. But nobody is. The fact remains that he brings more serenity to his footwork and in the air than he did a few years ago, while still being very impressive on his line.
PSG are delighted to have him, logically. It’s an argument for victory in the Champions League final against Inter Milan. There are others. Except that nothing will be easy. We’ll have to work hard, give everything we’ve got and hope for that little bit of success that can change everything.