At 3:00 a.m. Beijing time on October 2, Paris Saint-Germain will challenge Arsenal away in the 2nd round of the Champions League stage. Before the match, Paris Saint-Germain manager Enrique attended the press conference and expressed his views on a number of topics.
Talking about former teammate Arteta
Enrique said that he has fond memories of Arteta having been teammates with him for a season at Barcelona. He believes that Arteta had a great career as a player and was also very successful towards the end of his career. Enrique praised Arteta as one of the best coaches in football at the moment and thanked him for helping Arsenal become a title-winning club again.
Leaving Ousmane Dembele out of the roster
Enrique responded to the decision to leave Ousmane Dembele out of the roster. He said that if someone does not respect their obligations to the team and is not ready for it, then he will not play such a player for the good of the team. Enrique emphasized that the decision was for the good of the team and was supported by the club's management.
Talking about whether there is support for hard choices
Enrique said that forming a team is not something that comes easily and there will always be difficult situations and tough decisions. He stood by his decision and was supported by the management, sporting director and president. Enrique emphasized that he was hired to do the best he could, not just to win titles and the Champions League.
Refuses to talk in detail about Dembele but denies there is a problem
Enrique refused to talk about the Ousmane Dembele situation in further detail but denied that there was a dispute between the player and the coach. He said that there are problems with the player's commitment to the team, but the relationship between the player and the coach is good. Enrique did not want to turn this into a soap opera and emphasized that there is no quarrel between them.
Talking about rivals Arsenal
Enrique believes that Arsenal are currently one of the best teams in Europe. He praised Arsenal for their excellence in possession and without the ball, and even considered them to be one of the best teams in the world without the ball. Enrique said that Arsenal is a team with a distinctive identity, with similarities but also differences with Paris Saint-Germain's style of play.
Talking about his team
Enrique said he will try to communicate with the players and build a bond. He believes Paris Saint-Germain are on the right path to building a team and need to play with the same intensity as Arsenal. Enrique emphasized that Mikel (Arteta), who has been sitting in the coaching chair at Arsenal for five years and has just renewed his contract for two more, has to make tough choices to build the team.
Reliance on Barcola and Ousmane Dembele
Enrique said that Paris Saint-Germain has enough people to score goals, no matter who the players are. He believes in his team and will try to convey the same traits to his players. Enrique mentioned players such as Barcola, Gangin Lee, Kolo Mouani, Asensio and Desiré Doué as players who are capable of scoring goals for the team.
