Spanish Paris Saint-Germain head coach Luis Enrique faced the media this Tuesday night at St. James Park before Les Parisiens’ Champions League showdown against Newcastle United FC.
Both teams are unbeaten in the Group F. The Toons held on to an away draw at AC Milan (0-0) whilst PSG beat Borussia Dortmund (2-0) at the Parc des Princes. Luis Enrique revealed that the magnitude of such a game was enough to make him want to resume his playing career. “I am looking forward to it. And I even envy my players who will play the game“, said the Spaniard in his pre-game press conference transcribed by L’Equipe.
The 2015 Champions League winner with Barcelona has lauded Newcastle, “a team that works well when it has the ball, and presses well when they’re out of possession.” Luis Enrique also described Eddie Howe’s Magpies as “the Pot 4 team no one wanted to face” and “a side of very high level.“
Luis Enrique is adamant that, despite PSG’s bigger experience of the Champions League in recent years compared to Newcastle’s, Les Parisiens are in for a true test of their mettle. “The Champions League is unpredictable. The atmosphere will be hostile and brilliant (…) Newcastle are a difficult team to play against, obviously. We will try to reproduce on the pitch what we do in training.“
GFFN | Bastien Cheval
