‘This is best season of my career’, says PSG coach, Luis Enrique

Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique has declared the current campaign as “statistically” the best of his managerial career, despite facing criticism and challenges in the Champions League.  

“Statistically, it’s my best as a coach,” Enrique stated on Saturday, ahead of PSG’s Ligue 1 clash with Lyon.

He highlighted the team’s dominance in domestic competitions, pointing to their unbeaten record and a five-point lead at the top of the table over Marseille and Monaco.

Enrique downplayed reports of tension with players, emphasizing the collective progress of the squad. “We don’t depend on any particular player, only on the team. Training levels are rising, and the players are improving every day,” he said.

However, PSG’s European struggles are evident, as they currently sit in 25th place in the Champions League rankings, teetering on the brink of elimination.

Despite the mixed fortunes, Enrique remains optimistic about the overall trajectory of the team under his guidance.

The former Barcelona and Spain coach brushed aside talk of tensions with France winger Ousmane Dembele, insisting he had “the same relationship with all the players”.

“I’m a coach. I’m not their father, brother or ‘bro’, I decide, I have to make decisions, I have no problem making them, those that I consider to be the best for my team,” he explained.

The idea is to “get everyone out of the comfort zone, those who play more as well as those who play less. I have always done it in my career and I do not intend to change.

“To see the best version of these players, we can make unpopular decisions. It’s a team, like an orchestra, there can’t always be players doing the same thing, we have to coordinate.”

After the Lyon match, PSG play Monaco in Ligue 1 next Wednesday followed by a French Cup tie against Lens on December 22.