Luis Enrique, the coach of the French representative Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), which will face England’s Arsenal team in the UEFA Champions League final tomorrow, said that there is no favorite in the matchup.
The Spanish coach made a statement at the press conference held before the match, which will be held at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, the capital of Hungary, tomorrow at 19.00 CET.
Stating that both teams have different characteristics, Enrique said, “They are a team that scores a lot of goals, and we are a team that defends very well.” he said.
Reminding that Arsenal ended their 22-year championship drought in the Premier League this season, the 56-year-old coach said about his colleague Mikel Arteta, “I think they deserved to win the Premier League, especially this year. They were the best, most consistent team. It was a difficult process with Manchester City, but I think they deserved to win the league. I think it is Arteta’s sixth year in Arsenal. You can clearly see what kind of team he has built there.” he said.
Luis Enrique stated that they experienced the first UEFA Champions League victory in PSG’s history last season and said, “Although we have already made history last year, it is clear that this situation is a motivation for us. Our goal is to continue to be one of the best teams in the world.” he said.
Praising the performance of the organization in the qualifying rounds this season, Enrique said, “I liked all the matches we played in the Champions League this season. The two matches we played against Monaco in the play-offs, then we faced Chelsea, Liverpool and Bayern Munich. I think we showed what kind of a team we are in these 8 matches. We were the dominant side in most of these matches. There were moments when we had to suffer. We needed this kind of pain. In the end, we showed what kind of team we are. Again, we reached the Champions League final for the second time.” “We are coming. This is a very difficult situation for any team to achieve and it is historic for us.” He commented:
“ARSENAL IS A COMPETITION WE KNOW VERY WELL”
Luis Enrique stated that they know Arsenal well, which they will face in the final tomorrow.
Stating that they have met several times in recent years, the Spanish coach said, “Arsenal is an opponent we know very well. I think we will increase both our offensive and defensive performance. Knowing how to manage a final is always different. We will be in a great stadium. I think the most important thing is to enjoy playing this kind of match tomorrow. Because you never know when you will be able to play a Champions League final again.” made his assessment.
“I DON’T THINK THERE IS A FAVORITE”
PSG Coach Enrique, upon being reminded of their 5-0 win over Italian representative Inter in the final last season, said:
“When we talk about finals, the situation is always difficult. Last year was an exception. I think we established a non-existent, unrealistic superiority between Inter and Paris Saint-Germain, but that is football. In this final, to be honest, I do not think there is a favorite. We must enjoy and benefit from the small details and factors that may be important for us. We must know how to stay in the match for 90 minutes and try to turn it to our advantage.”
Stating that they want the second consecutive and total UEFA Champions League championship in the club’s history, the experienced coach said, “There can be no greater motivation than playing in the Champions League final. Everything else is strategy, moves made according to the situations. Tomorrow, after the match, we will see who is better and who will win the championship. I am completely focusing on the positive things for my own team and working to show our best level on the field tomorrow.” he said.
When it was said that Arsenal would go to the field with the motivation to win their first championship, Enrique said: “Yes, this is a very strong factor, but do you know how strong a motivation it is to try to win the Champions League for the second time in a row? This is much bigger. So we are one step ahead.” He concluded his words by saying.
