“Good afternoon”, lengthening the last a. This is how Luis Enrique greeted him when he entered the press room of the Lluís Companys stadium. Happy to be home, the return to Barcelona softened the Asturian coach a little. What touched him the most was that Xavi included him among the technicians who have influenced him the most. “You amaze me. Very beautiful. I will be excited”, he joked. “I appreciate it, especially from someone with whom I have shared so much”, he returned the compliment.
The Asturian, after vindicating himself in the preview of the first leg in his own way, with vehemence, was conciliatory this time talking about his colleague. “I have no doubt that Xavi is a top coach. I said I didn’t know him and it’s true, because what I want is to know what he’s like in the talks, inside, etc. And I won’t know him anymore because I won’t play anymore. But I would have loved to have been coached by Xavi, Pep Guardiola or Luis Aragonés”, he revealed, just before burying the hatchet. “It is wonderful that there are four coaches with Barça DNA. It doesn’t matter who has more”, he was Solomonic this time. And he extended the applause to the rest of the coaches of the quarterfinalist. “I congratulate my teammates because there are goals in every game. Maybe it’s a record.”
Idol as a player Luis Enrique, never faced Barça after defending the Blaugrana shirt. Yes, he did it as a coach after managing the subsidiary, with Celta – he lost 0-3 and 3-0 in the 2013-2014 season. And now it will be the first time that he crosses paths with his past after his three years on the Barcelona bench, with a treble, which ended in 2017. “I have always been very loved. I will gladly accept whatever it is,” he said of his people’s reception.
But the Asturian is a professional and that’s where the feelings ended. He immediately wanted to remember that, in his opinion, the 2-3 of the idea “does not accurately reflect what we deserved. We deserved at least a draw”. The coach admitted that it took him 48 hours to encourage his players after the defeat. “They were two difficult days”. But the page has turned.
The PSG coach did not hide his plans. “By default we are a team that does not speculate. Tomorrow this word does not exist for us”, he banished it. And he said that he will go on the attack: “We will press from minute 1”.
A bravery that was already seen in Paris. Luis Enrique faced that “Ter Stegen hit a record 24 long balls to overcome that pressure”. Something he believes will happen again. “Barça will use the last line, at Lewandowski’s feet or in space”. The Asturian knows that history is against him and he doesn’t care. It’s full of confidence. “PSG has never come back after losing the first leg. This is the day”, he harangued.
