Enrique: “We deserved to win, but it was very tough.”
“I want to congratulate the Le Mans coach for what he has achieved with his players. It was very complicated, very difficult. They are very brave. There are never any easy matches after the international break. We anticipated these difficulties. We started the match well. After the goal, we made three or four errors that cost us some confidence. I think we deserved to win, but it was very tough.”
Enrique: “If the result is what it is, it means we did our job well.”
Regarding the substitutions made in the final half-hour: was this a victory for the bench?
“No. That sort of thing always happens when you return from an international break. It is important for us to manage each player’s workload. It all depends on the travel involved, the journeys, and so on. Naturally, you end up with players who aren’t used to playing together. But if the result is what it is, it means we did our job well.”
Can Akliouche’s final half-hour help him gain confidence?
“I disagree; for me, Maghnes was the best player. I love everything about Maghnes Akliouche—the way he plays as a number 9, as a winger, or as a midfielder, as well as his physical and technical abilities. He has been a wonderful surprise for us, and I am very happy to have him with us.”
Enrique: “We have a lot of players who can shoot.”
How did you react when the stands emptied of supporters?
“I saw some movement, but I didn’t follow the whole situation or understand why they did that.” “But clearly, for us, I prefer it when they are in the stadium, like during the last ten minutes. Beyond that, I don’t know.”
Why was Beraldo chosen to take the penalty?
“Last year, we showed that we don’t have one true specialist, but we do have several players capable of taking them. That’s why we’ve won so many penalty shootouts. Who takes the penalty depends on a lot of things—the context, the score, each player’s form… We have plenty of players who can take them; we decide in the moment.”
