Luis Enrique has hit back at what he believes is unfair negativity surrounding his Paris Saint-Germain side on the eve of their Champions League semifinal against Arsenal.
PSG sealed their fourth consecutive Ligue 1 title earlier this month and have transformed themselves into one of Europe’s most dangerous teams this season.
They face the Gunners in Tuesday’s semifinal, first leg at Emirates Stadium aiming to reach their first final of Europe’s premier club competition since 2019-20.
However, Luis Enrique took aim at reporters during Monday’s news conference amid a range of enquiries including a dip in form for midfielder Vitinha, PSG’s vulnerability at set-pieces and a difficult group stage which included a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal back in October.
“No one is talking about the goals or the games we’ve won, let’s talk about our defeats, that’s fine,” Luis Enrique said.
“You can say everything you want, you can send everything my way. Our mindset is wonderful. The most unhappy or sad member of the squad is me so you can just imagine what the others are doing.”
Pushed to elaborate further, Luis Enrique continued: “Let me just specify. Maybe I am getting things wrong but when I’m talking about the negative climate, I’m not talking about the fans or the staff within the club. But yeah, the questions coming from the media and even the questions the journalists ask, I think it is quite negative but maybe that’s just me.”
Arsenal have become a potent force on set-pieces under Mikel Arteta, scoring more Premier League goals than any other side from dead-ball situations since the start of last season.
In Ligue 1, only four teams have conceded more set-piece goals than PSG’s 10 — equating to 32% of their overall goals against, which is the highest proportion in the division.
Asked about Arsenal’s threat, Luis Enrique said: “We are obviously working on all of the aspects of the game, because how do you think I got my licence to be a coach without working on everything?”
Asked about PSG’s defeat by Arsenal in October, Luis Enrique said: “That was seven or eight months ago. I saw the match again. We’re a much better team today.
Arsenal, who secured a crushing 5-1 aggregate win over holders Real Madrid in the quarterfinals, are unbeaten at home in the Champions League this season.
“We had a very intense group phase, with a lot of games that could have been finals. So I think that made things difficult because we were in a difficult position, but it has made us much stronger and we are more complete,” Luis Enrique said.
“These are Champions League semifinals, but they’re still two games between two teams with the same goal. The key will be managing the pressure.
“They’re one of the best teams in Europe and they’ve been doing a remarkable job with their coach for several years now,” Luis Enrique said.
“We all deserve to be here. I like my team the most, that’s why I’m here. Some people will like Paris more, others Arsenal, that’s part of life.”
Both Arsenal and PSG are bidding to win Europe’s elite club competition for the first time.
“The objective is difficult to achieve. That doesn’t mean we’re under any pressure, we’re ambitious,” Luis Enrique added.
“When we say we want to make history, we’re talking about doing something that nobody has done before us. The team has a lot of confidence, and sometimes we’re less brilliant, but that’s part of life.
“PSG have never won the Champions League? Neither have Arsenal. We mustn’t let that stop us from performing at the highest level, we have to keep that in mind but concentrate on what we have to do.”
