Luis Enrique Takes Charge of PSG: The Mbappe Puzzle and Erasing Champions League Fears
Luis Enrique’s arrival at Paris Saint-Germain poses two immediate challenges: solving the Mbappe puzzle and rebuilding PSG into a cohesive unit.
“A New Diamond in Paris.” This was how Paris Saint-Germain announced the arrival of Leo Messi back in August 2021.
Shortly after, Mauricio Pochettino, the coach at Parc des Princes at the time, stated that Messi’s arrival was a “privilege,” but also warned that “if they don’t behave as a team, it will be very difficult.”
Luis Enrique becomes the third coach at PSG in two years.
“In today’s game, talent alone is not enough,” he emphasized.
Both Pochettino and his successor, Christophe Galtier, were dismissed. PSG has gone through five coaches since 2018, with Luis Enrique being the latest appointment following the rejections of Zinedine Zidane, Julian Nagelsmann, Antonio Conte, and Luciano Spalletti.
Speaking on his debut, Luis Enrique said, “As a coach, it’s about adapting to the players, but I can assure you that we will form a united group.”
The first major challenge for the former Spanish national team coach is to create the cohesion that his predecessors lacked at PSG. “I promised to establish a team,” he emphasized.
Challenge for Luis Enrique
Since the arrival of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar in 2017, followed by the addition of Messi two years ago, PSG has had three of the world’s finest talents in international football. However, their presence has created a significant imbalance within the team’s starting eleven.
A fearsome attacking line, but a weak defense. And in the dressing room, the presence of strong personalities like Sergio Ramos and Thiago Silva (both now departed) caused some instability.
Messi, whom chairman Al-Khelaifi thanked for “what he did in Paris,” has chosen to join Inter Miami. Mbappe’s future remains uncertain as the club has presented him with two options: either to extend his contract or leave.
Mbappe poses a significant challenge for PSG and Luis Enrique.
Regarding this, Luis Enrique mentioned that “Kylian will trust everyone who is present in the team now.”
Managing the Mbappe situation is another major challenge for the PSG coach. The complicated relationship between the French forward and the club could have implications for Luis Enrique’s squad selection for the upcoming season.
The 53-year-old strategist admitted that he has not spoken with Mbappe, but everyone knows that he is not a coach who shies away from dealing with star players.
Luis Enrique had initial disagreements with Messi upon his arrival at Barcelona. However, they worked through their difficulties to rebuild a team that had vulnerabilities in the post-Pep Guardiola era.
When Enrique departed after three years, Messi was among those who requested that he stay with the team.
With Barcelona in 2015, Enrique guided the team to their second-ever treble (the first being in 2009 with Pep) with his distinctive playing style.
Luis Enrique’s ideas “align with the project’s vision at PSG,” as he himself acknowledged, and he looks optimistically toward the future “with a style of play that fans will love.”
High-pressure, ball possession, and at times, direct play (even more so than during his time at Barcelona) are some of the variations that Enrique has been successful with at Barca and, more recently, with the Spanish national team (especially during EURO 2020).
Erasing Champions League Fears
Luis Enrique must now imprint this style of play onto a young but proven PSG squad. They are a combination of high-quality players rather than just star individuals.
Lucas Hernandez, Manuel Ugarte, Lee Kang In, Milan Skriniar, and Ndour may not be stars that sponsors eagerly chase after, but they possess strong team consciousness. Additionally, there is Marco Asensio joining from Real Madrid.
Luis Enrique is confident in his new role.
Luis Enrique and his team face the significant challenge of creating a dominant PSG in Europe. The Champions League has always been a nightmare for the Parisian club, including the disappointment of losing the 2020 final.
Most recently, there was the nightmare defeat to Real Madrid, conceding three goals in just 10 minutes in the round of 16 of the 2021-22 Champions League. However, the biggest psychological trauma for PSG was caused by Luis Enrique himself.
“A plot of a horror movie,” Enrique described it when Barcelona defeated PSG 6-1 at Camp Nou in 2017. Now, he must dispel that mentality for the team in the French capital, rebuilding a squad that has lost direction and confidence.
