Luis Enrique: "Our fans will help us massively"

The Paris Saint-Germain manager spoke to the press ahead of his side’s game against Atlético de Madrid, which kicks off at 21:00 CET tomorrow (Matchday 4 of the league phase of the 2024–2025 UEFA Champions League) at the Parc des Princes.

on atlÉtico

"Tomorrow, I'll be playing against Diego [Simeone] again. We've played against each other as players and then as managers, and he's a great manager. He's been at Atlético for a long time, which is a great achievement; lasting that long is incredible. We know that it'll be a tough game against a side that knows how to play as a team but that also has great individual talent. They've got some top, international players, and they'll want to perform well, too. We're expecting a high-level game, and we're focused on winning it."

ON ATLÉTICO'S PLAYING STYLE

"I have no doubt that, despite their results against Benfica and Lille, they'll do their best against us. They'll be a very difficult team to play against, but we'll be at home, and our fans will be behind us until the very last second and will help us massively, so we'll need to turn up on the pitch."

ON PARIS'S RESULTS

"The feeling is the same whenever we play in the Champions League. I'm optimistic, and I believe that my players can face up to this game and get the three points. We always play with the same idea as a team. Each competition is different, and the Champions League is a very high-level one, but I'm very happy with the standard of my team. Our stats are very good in this competition, but we're hoping to have some more luck in terms of results."

ON THE champions league TABLE

"If we lose tomorrow but we win the next four games, we'll go through, as will Atlético. So, tomorrow night's game isn't a decider. It's important, and our aim is to win it, but it's not crucial for the next stage of the competition."

ON THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN WILLIAN PACHO AND MARQUINHOS

"My job is to generalise things so that each player can help the team, regardless of their position. I have to make sure that the team improves collectively, and that goes for everyone, including all of the duos within the team. I analyse things from a global perspective, and it's important not to depend on one player in particular or even on one duo."

ON THE TEAM'S MOTIVATION

"To play a game in the Champions League, you mustn't overthink things. Everyone is ready, and everyone wants to play. There's no doubt about the players' motivation going into the game against Atlético."

ON MARQUInhos POTENTIALLY MAKING HIS 200TH APPEARANCE AS CAPTAIN 

"It's incredible for a manager to have a player like him. He's the team's leader, and through his personality, he brings people together. We hope that he'll remain at this level for many more years."