Luis Enrique: 'I want to prove myself to them and to myself'

Coach, the team is on an incredible run, unbeaten in five months. What's the key to such a run?

I don't know, but what is certain is that we are gradually getting to know the players, that we're gradually developing, because we arrived with a clear idea from the very start of what our philosophy was going be: play on the front foot, not speculate, not think about playing differently home or away, and to give our fans an attractive idea of attacking football. That idea hasn't changed, it's still the same, but the way we have put it into action has evolved as a result of the players we have been given, the players who have arrived, the development in their performances. In other words, we're on an incredible run now, very positive, but we want to extend it. We want to come into this key part of the season in the best possible conditions.

You have also been able to get the whole squad behind you, and the players are paying you back…

It's true. I have never been in a team where there's not a sense of belonging to a team that is more important than you as an individual. It's a team sport. Of course, there's individuality. Of course, all the players want to play. But the team wins out over the individual. It's difficult, because you have to be very generous. You have to be very intelligent to be able to help your team, even if you don't play. And that's why I think it's important that all the players feel the technical staff's trust. It's clear that some don't play a lot or play less, but I think that we have shown that we have faith in everyone and that we give more or fewer minutes based on performance. That's one of the keys, yes.

Is there pressure to be involved in three competitions, including a Coupe de France final and a UEFA Champions League quarter-final?

No, not at all. We're on course to meet our objectives. The goal was to reach the Coupe de France final and win the league. And there's no pressure in the Champions League. It's actually completely the opposite. Barcelona have won five Champions Leagues, we've not won any. It's impossible that they are more excited than us. It's impossible. And for us, there's absolutely no pressure. It's a total ambition.

'Play like it's the last two months of our sporting careers'

How are you approaching the tie with Barcelona?

Playing Barcelona is difficult for me from an emotional point of view, but at the same time, it's stimulating. I want to do good work. I want my team to win the game. I want to prove to them and prove to myself that as a professional, I'm at the top of the game. And that means beating Barça. To hurt them, we'll have to be the best version of ourselves. Barcelona are a very high-level club. They're a good team. It'll be very difficult, but I think we are at a very high level too. We're on a good run and I'm convinced we can knock them out.

Is it an advantage to face a club and a coach you know so well?

It could be an advantage just as it could be a disadvantage. What's clear is that the match will be won by the players above all. Actually, I don't think there's a fan or a player who doesn't know that it'll be a hard-fought game, very even, and that we'll need to be alert from start to finish. A Champions League quarter-final tie means two very difficult games. We are going to try and win the first game, and I think we're ready. 

So we're heading into the season finale. Where is your team in relation to your expectations?

I cannot say exactly but we're still evolving. Seven weeks will go quickly. From the start, we wanted to be a team that is capable of winning trophies. We're already very close to three of them, and in the Champions League, we're where we wanted to be. So now we have to be able to handle these emotions, be capable of preparing as well as possible with the players. We are going to prepare these two months as if it's the last two months of our sporting lives and recover as much as possible. Eat as best we can, rest, recover, train at 100% to be in the best conditions possible for the seven weeks left. That's our goal, to feed off each win.