At the Montjuic Olympic stadium,
Football and its media microcosm have the wonderful thing that, regardless of the place, the actors or the moment, they are permanently on a cresting path. It is only in this world that yesterday’s heroes become tomorrow’s outcasts (and vice versa) with a simple snap of the fingers, for a ball that crosses the line or does not cross it, a red that goes out from a referee’s pocket or does not come out.
So, after this historic qualification of PSG in the semi-final of the Champions League, and this will obviously be the trend until the first leg against Dortmund at the end of April, Luis Enrique went in two hours from interstellar pipasse to thrill-creating genius .
It must be said that in the first leg, his crazy choices – with the tenure of Marco Asensio and the benching of Warren Zaire-Emery – had partly cost PSG its horrible first period. And if he had been able to quickly admit his mistakes, by changing players at the break and taking the defeat for himself in a conference after the match, the boy had not gone through a continuous flow of criticism (rather justified).
But this Wednesday morning, if he read the press, he would be delighted to see that the jackets have turned as quickly as the wind. By fielding a more classic eleven, and thanks to Araujo’s success without whom nothing would have been possible, let’s say it, the Spanish coach became the great architect of the Parisian comeback on Catalan soil.
Because we have to give back to Lucho what is Lucho’s, the guy has definitely put his paw on this PSG and some of his choices paid off directly on Tuesday evening. In the possession, already, which he esteems more than his own mother. Barça has never had the ball so little in the Champions League since Opta has been analyzing the competition, that is to say exactly ten years. 41.4% on the outward journey, 32% on the return journey. But the Enrique touch goes well beyond numbers, it extends to men and minds.
Vitinha: From Vitiniar to Verrattinha
Criticized last season, the pocket-sized Portuguese has become in the space of a few months one of the most impactful players of Paris Saint-Germain’s Lucho version. The Parisian coach certainly took a little time before finding the right formula with him, constantly lugging him around in several positions at the start of the season, but he ended up giving him all his confidence in recent months in a sentinel position which suits him perfectly.
While giving him total freedom to project himself forward and showcase his knowledge of peanuts, the one that we saw two seasons ago near Porto, less last year with Galthié. Already a scorer in the first leg, Vitinha (and his goat) once again sparked the revolt of the Rouge et Bleu by sending a minasse to the reception of a corner played quickly behind at the entrance to the Barcelona area. And the coach has not forgotten that. Asked about Kylian Mbappé’s performance at a press conference, the Asturian was quick to switch to his little darling. “I would like to highlight Vitinha above all, because he fought, he fought. He has so many qualities in his passes, on goal,” he praised.
A Zen master who gets into the heads of the players
It was a mission that we thought impossible, and yet… Before the arrival of Luis Enrique, PSG was known and recognized internationally for its almost manic-depressive propensity to make the Champions League the only worthwhile objective, to the point to put excessive pressure on all the components of the club, starting with the players, and to trivialize domestic victories. Since he’s been here, the music has changed.
By choosing to restore value to the French championship and the national cup, through constant demands, Enrique managed to (re)concern his squad throughout the season, as evidenced by these ten performance points. advance in Ligue 1 and this qualification in the Coupe de France final, which has not happened for two years, an eternity for PSG.
And in C1, the way he communicated serenity to his group throughout the week paid off. “He brings us a lot in terms of tactics but also in the head,” assured Vitinha after the meeting. It’s important the way he makes us believe that everything will turn out our way. He has a lot of merit, it must be said: he is an incredible coach. » A week earlier, before the first leg, Danilo’s statement was on the same register: “The state of mind is better, the level of demands higher. And it shows both in training and in matches. Even when things are not going well, we want to look up and confirm. »
On the opening score in Barcelona, for example, would PSG of past years have managed not to sink? There is room for doubt. On Tuesday, the Parisian coach was, on the contrary, quick to encourage his players and feed them instructions from his bench, before jumping onto the pitch after Araujo’s red to convey to them his faith in the feat to come. . “We conceded a goal, but we remained intact in the mentality,” appreciated Lucho after the victory. The monstrous end of the match from Marquinhos, aka the man with a papier-mâché mind, is the ultimate proof of this.
Mbappé, is everything forgiven?
As for Mbappé’s management, heavily criticized after the defeat at the Parc, the player’s attitude and the sincere embrace between the two men on Tuesday must be enough to silence the gossip. If he was able to be tough with his best player, who sometimes gave him back (hello Classic at the Vélodrome), he really didn’t give the impression of holding it against him. And for Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, crossed in the mixed zone with his great looks, Tuesday, the debate is closed on the subject of Luis Enrique: “He is the best coach in the world”. Until the semi-final, at least.