By Sama Marwan,
Spanish coach Luis Enrique, manager of Paris Saint-Germain, expressed his confidence in his team’s ability to achieve a positive result against English side Arsenal in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final.
During the pre-match press conference, Enrique said:
“Arsenal is a team with high quality on the ball, but our focus will be on ourselves and on what we need to deliver tomorrow. I believe we are in good shape.”
He added:
“The players are fully focused, and we are all thinking only about tomorrow’s match. We know we are playing in a Champions League semi-final, and for that, we are ready as usual.”
He continued:
“We are aware of how difficult it is to play against a physically powerful team, but our goal is to write a new page in the club’s history, starting with this match.”
Luis Enrique confirmed:
“We trust ourselves and believe that the time has come to deliver a perfect performance. We are fully ambitious to shine in the semi-final and will approach the match as if it were our last opportunity.”
He further stated:
“We are a more complete team than we were seven months ago when we first met Arsenal this season. Our level has clearly developed throughout the tournament.”
Regarding technical preparations, he explained:
“We are preparing the team on all fronts, including set-pieces. Otherwise, how would I have earned my coaching license?” confirming that all players are ready for the match.
When asked about his assessment of Arsenal, he said:
“The two teams are very similar, both offensively and defensively. They have high-level players, just like us. Are they the best team we’ve faced? I can’t say for sure, but they are definitely among the best in Europe, and so are we.”
Luis Enrique concluded his remarks by saying:
“I always make sure to speak respectfully about our opponents. Arsenal have delivered great performances for years under their manager. As for us, we truly deserve to be in this stage. In the end, some will prefer Paris, others Arsenal — that’s the nature of football.”
