Luis Enrique, coach of Paris Saint-Germain (1st), held a press conference this Tuesday ahead of facing Nantes (17th) at the Parc des Princes tomorrow (kick-off at 7pm, CET) in a rescheduled match from the 26th round of Ligue 1 2025-2026. Alongside this event, the Spaniard also spoke to PSG TV.
Luis Enrique: “It’s a shame, we need points to win the league.”
Another match?
Playing every three days is a lot, especially because you have to talk all the time. And I’m tired of talking (laughs). This is my home. No problem!
What can you take away from this confidence-boosting defeat?
I think if you analyze what happened, it’s a typical way to lose. The opponent created fewer chances than us, but they scored the first two goals. That’s not typical. They have quality, we tried to change the game, to at least get a draw. We didn’t succeed. It’s a shame, we need points to win the league.
Luis Enrique: “It’s like playing Tetris as a coach.”
How do you manage the squad at the end of the season?
There are many things to analyze, with the schedule and the players’ fitness, to be in the best possible position. It’s easy to say you’re playing with your strongest eleven, but it’s also easy to get injured. The staff’s job, and mine, is to have a competitive team for every match and to arrive at the Champions League matches ready to face Bayern Munich.
We have Vitinha’s minor injury to manage, and Nuno Mendes isn’t quite ready yet. There are players who are tired, with minor aches and pains, even if they’re fit enough to play. We have to manage that; not everything is public. It’s like playing Tetris as a coach to be ready to win tomorrow. That’s the most important thing.
Luis Enrique: “The opponent has a special motivation; it won’t be easy.”
Is Nantes struggling a good opportunity?
For me, when there are 10 matches left in the season, all results are different. For teams in difficulty, it’s their last chance to stay in Ligue 1. These are tough matches. We drew 1-1 against Nantes last season. It’s always a tough match. We also have some changes to our lineup, a combination that isn’t necessarily our usual one.
These aren’t excuses, but it won’t be easy to win, to get a big score. We have to be very focused from the first few minutes. The opposition has a special motivation; it won’t be easy. It will be very important to be ready for the match.
The support of the fans?
It’s important, that’s clear. Even against Lyon, we were losing 0-2, and we could hear the fans the whole time. It’s great to have that atmosphere, that mentality of supporting the team regardless of the result.
