Calm
The PSG delegation landed in Munich in a nervous mood. The leaders and players stepped off the plane in a general atmosphere of uncertainty, with one exception.
Luis Enrique, the head coach, laughs freely. The Spanish strategist enjoys the tension before the Champions League final against Inter Milan at the Allianz Arena (2am, June 1).
He faced the culmination of his great work with a serenity that amazed all around him. Enrique was a special case.
“One of the keys to the game is to control your emotions,” Ousmane Dembele admitted after the final training session, looking thoughtful and responsible under the heavy pressure on him and his teammates. “I have dreamed of playing in this final since I was a child.”
Anxiety spread from the streets, where French fans, optimistic and prone to euphoria, were convinced that PSG would win their first Champions League title in history.
PSG beat Man City, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal with explosive football that impressed the whole of Europe. Their final opponents, Inter Milan, included many players who had been rejected by the market, increasing the belief of the fans.
French media not only declared PSG as a strong candidate, but almost confirmed that they would complete the dream that started in 2011, when the Qatar investment fund bought the club.
More than 2 billion euros have been poured in during this time to win Europe's most prestigious trophy.
That sense of doom permeated the dressing room. Veterans like Marquinhos saw only frightened faces, young men under pressure, standing on the brink of glory, not yet able to manage expectations.
Director of Football Luis Campos, President Nasser Al-Khelaifi and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani – the team's owner – are all worried.
They reminded Luis Enrique, to try to calm the mentality of a squad that was shouldering too much responsibility, to imagine a match where they controlled the ball while the opponent waited with a defensive counter-attack.
“I want to make history in Paris”
“We have to stay calm,” Luis Enrique repeated to his players. “We can win or lose. It doesn’t matter. We just have to play like we always do.”
Team members say Enrique always emphasizes the fundamentals of his philosophy, the core of which is determination.
He told the players not to be afraid of taking risky passes into the middle, not to hesitate when pressing the opponent, not to worry about losing the ball because the whole team would win it back together, and that there would definitely be a time when Inter would counter-attack.
The most dangerous thing is to go out there nervous and slow down the tempo just to avoid counter-attacking. If they do that, he warned, the chances of winning are only 50-50.
But if they play like they did against Arsenal, he guarantees that out of 10 games against Inter, PSG will win 7.
“Luis has done a lot of psychological work on us so we know how to play to our strengths,” said Marquinhos. “He has spoken to us a lot this week. I think we are ready for any situation.”
Luis Enrique does not hide his ambition: “My biggest motivation is to make history in Paris. Bring joy to the city and the fans. Be the first to win the Champions League for them.”
He was quite calm: “In addition, I tried to live the match with the calmness of someone 10 years older and more experienced than the first final I led.
I want to instill in the players a sense of optimism about the great opportunity they have – to do something that no one has ever done in Paris – without letting the pressure get the better of them. PSG have a track record: it has been a very difficult journey since September, and that is now our advantage.”
Luis Enrique's composure has intrigued and impressed PSG's owners and staff. No one doubts his leadership ability.
At the age of 55, also PSG's age, after leading Barca to win the Champions League in 2015, he acts like a man who has experienced all the ups and downs in life.
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/psg-vs-inter-luis-enrique-quyet-viet-lai-lich-su-cup-c1-2406854.html
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