On Wednesday, during Matchday 1 of the 2025-2026 Champions League, Paris Saint-Germain will face Atalanta at the Parc des Princes (kick-off at 9 p.m., CET). On the eve of this match, Parisian coach Luis Enrique answered several questions at a press conference.
Luis Enrique: “As champions, we want to recapture that feeling.”
Tougher matches as European champions?
I don’t know, I don’t see any difference from last year. It’s always difficult to win, and I had the same feeling.
PSG is quite effective even though they’re not playing as well. Is that normal given your summer?
I don’t agree (smiles). It’s always difficult to analyze and appreciate what we do. Last year, there was a very difficult moment due to a lack of efficiency. But that’s the normal process for a team that wants to improve.
Right now, I think we’re more confident at this stage of the competition. We’re starting the Champions League; it’s a very different competition. As champions, we want to rediscover that feeling. That’s the goal from the first match.
Luis Enrique: “We’ll decide tomorrow.”
Any news on Kvaratskhelia and Lee? Could they be in the squad?
Lee, for sure. As for Kvaratskhelia, we’ll have to wait and see how he feels. We’ll decide tomorrow.
Barcola will have even more responsibilities. What do you expect from him?
I expect the same as everyone else; I hope he improves like every player, both individually and as a team. When there are injuries, there are difficult moments. I’m not just going to talk about one player, but about the team’s mentality to overcome them.
Luis Enrique: “It will be difficult to predict what they’ll do.”
What’s your opinion on Atalanta, who have changed coaches?
It’s difficult to answer, because they’ve only played three matches against different opponents. It will be difficult to predict what they’ll do. But if I think about what Atalanta has done in recent years, they’re difficult to play against, they know how to press high and play with the ball.
It’s always difficult against an Italian team. We’re used to not knowing what our opponent will do, but rather adapting to different styles. I hope we’ll be up to it tomorrow.
You managed to downplay the Champions League, but how do you maintain calm despite injuries?
During the season, it’s normal to have different moments. There’s joy, there’s sadness. You have to adapt to that. We’re starting a competition that has been a benchmark for the club. As European champions, with a city like Paris, with this club, our supporters, the goal is to make history again and win for the second time. We know it will be difficult, but we want to be ambitious.
Luis Enrique: “We must always think about improving.”
Do the coaches also still need to improve? What do you need to change in your approach?
The coaches improve every day! (laughs). I always want to improve, to show my players that there’s no time to rest when it comes to facing what lies ahead. For me, the staff, and the club, it’s normal to be ambitious. We must always think about improving.
PSG will be the team to beat, are you considering a change?
That’s why I watched the match from above on Sunday, to see different things, things to improve, and to talk specifically at halftime. I’ve been thinking about adding that to our plan for a while. It’s to improve our performance. I don’t know about tomorrow yet. But in the second half, of course I’ll be on the pitch.
Luis Enrique: “We showed the way.”
Is the team physically ready with the ball?
Of course. It was a special circumstance the first week, when you saw that the players weren’t as fluid with the ball. But they’re professional, at a very high level; you can see the quality in training. I can say that the level is there, a very high level.
All the pressure of the first Champions League is gone, what makes you even more dangerous?
More dangerous? (laughs). The first Champions League is always the toughest. Do you know why? So that the players believe they can win it, and so do the fans. We’ve shown the way. Everyone wants to win it; they’ve seen we’re capable.
It will be difficult, of course. But the first one is harder than the others. And I hope that with this mentality we have, we’ll find our level and have a great competition.
A new era is dawning at PSG, with the desire to Frenchify the team. How many French players are you aiming for?
That was a goal with Luis Campos, to regain a little bit of identity. But for me and for the fans, when you see a player wearing a PSG jersey, he’s Parisian. He’s a player who represents our team.
A player who arrives must be of a very high level, and we’re working towards that. It’s also important to have French players. When you talk to them, they can say a lot about the culture of the city, of the club.
Luis Enrique: “They’re a very aggressive team, they don’t give up any space or time.”
A club that has just won the Champions League can be a little sluggish afterward, how can you do the opposite?
I’m not doing anything special. The players are also ambitious. I remember last season, I said that they never get tired of playing. They enjoy playing football. They’re like a child, who never stops. That’s what we want. It’s easy for me to motivate our players, to try to be as ready as possible for the challenge. It’s difficult, but we’re confident.
What do you think of Lookman’s absence?
I avoid talking about the players who aren’t at PSG and prefer to think about the players who are here. It’s a very attractive match, against the winner of the 2023-2024 Europa League. The new coach knows the club’s philosophy; he worked with Gasperini. They’re a very aggressive team, and they don’t give up any space or time. We’re really looking forward to the competition starting.
