Luis Enrique's pre-Barcelona v PSG chat with Mbappe revealed

Last season, Paris Saint-Germain managed to come from behind against FC Barcelona in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. After losing 2-3 at the Parc des Princes, the French side won 4-1 at the Olimpic de Montjuic with a brace from Kylian Mbappe. On Thursday, ‘Movistar+’ published a very interesting piece of what went on in the days leading up to the match in Barcelona.

These images are part of ‘No teneis ni **** idea’, a docuseries that follows Luis Enrique in his first season at PSG. In them, we see a motivational chat between the Asturian and Kylian Mbappe, who he calls on to do more defensive work to set an example as a leader of the team.

"I read that you liked Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan used to grab all his teammates by the balls and defend like a son of a b*tch. You have to set an example, first as a person and as a player, to go", began an energetic Luis Enrique, who began to explain PSG's withdrawal plan against the blaugranas.

"You're going to have Cubarsi, you're going to mark him. You're going to mark him and Ter Stegen. You're going to spend the whole game pressing Cubarsi to stop him going forward and Ter Stegen to play quickly. And then, coming back quickly. What for? To be a leader," said the coach. In that match, Cubarsi suffered PSG's high pressing and Ronald Araujo was sent off.

At the time, Mbappe had not yet publicly announced that he was leaving PSG. He did so a month after that tie, in May. But behind closed doors, it was already known and Luis Enrique motivated him: "This is what I want you to do as a leader for the two months you have left. I want you to leave here through the big door, Kiky. There is no doubt about it.

"But you have to earn it. And not attacking, I know you are God when attacking, there is no one better than you, I know that. But the day you don't attack you have to be the best player in history defending. That's a leader, that's Michael Jordan,’ said Luis Enrique, who in the video quotes him the following day to talk about attacking tactics. 

 

October 3, 2024