Enrique rubbishes notions and says Sunday’s final will be a die-hard battle
Luis Enrique, PSG’s coach, rubbished all notions of an easy final against Chelsea in the Club Football World Cup. “Anyone who thinks this match will be a formality doesn’t know anything about football. I’ve analyzed this Chelsea team; they won the Conference League. I really like Enzo Maresca; he likes to come from behind, press, attack; they’re a very complete team. It’s not going to be easy. We’re going to approach this match giving 100%. It’s important to be aware of how difficult the match will be. I like the way they play. There are a lot of individuals, but when they have to defend, they know how to apply pressure. I think it will be a close match. Physically, they are very strong too. We are similar teams in the main aspects of the game. We are ready, they are ready. They won the Conference League, we won the Champions League,” Enrique said a day before the final. This is a PSG team without the big names like Messi and co, and the coach was asked whether it’s a coincidence that they won the Champions League without big stars. “A team of 11 stars, that’s football. That’s what we’re lucky to have now. Or rather 12, 13, 14, 15… It’s a commitment we made with the president [Nasser al-Khelaïfi], the sporting management, and me. The real star is the team, a team in which the supporters identify. Since my first day in Paris, that’s something we’ve achieved. We’re going to lose at one point or another, but the path is clear for us,” Enrique said. Subsequently, he was asked the thought that’s circulating in many a fan’s mind: would he agree that he, Enrique, is the real star of PSG? “Star, absolutely not. I didn’t want to be a star as a player, and I’m not a star as a coach. I do my job. I almost feel more comfortable when things aren’t going well. It’s great when things are going well; we make people happy. I know that a coach is good or bad depending on the results; that’s the rule of the game. I accept that I’ve been heavily criticized, but criticism motivates me more than praise. Is this my best season as a coach? Maybe, but for that, we’ll have to win tomorrow. The most important thing is to finish this match giving 100%.”
Mbappe to play against PSG on Wednesday for the first time after his ‘controversial’ departure
Kylian Mbappe will come up against Paris Saint-Germain for the first time since leaving the French club a year ago as Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid revolution gets its biggest test yet in Wednesday’s Club World Cup semifinal. Mbappé should be remembered as a PSG legend, having spent seven prolific campaigns there and eventually departing as the club’s all-time top scorer with 256 goals in 308 matches. However, his legacy was tarnished by the manner of his departure, as the sense among many was that for the last half of his time in Paris, he was merely waiting for the right moment to move to Madrid, the club he had dreamed of representing as a young boy. PSG, under its Qatari president Nasser al-Khelaifi, was not happy with the way in which Mbappe chose to run down his contract to sign for Real in 2024, denying it a transfer fee. A bitter legal dispute has gone on between the parties for much of the time since, with Mbappe claiming he is owed 55 million euros ($64.4 million) in unpaid wages and bonuses from his spell in Paris. The latest twist came just this week when one of Mbappe’s lawyers told AFP that the France captain had withdrawn the complaint of moral harassment against his former club. He believes he was sidelined by PSG and made to train with players the club was looking to offload after refusing to agree to a new contract. Mbappe missed a pre-season tour to Japan and the start of the next campaign before eventually being reintegrated into Luis Enrique’s squad. All of that should have been behind Mbappe long ago, given the way his first season at Real has gone on a personal level.
Mourning Pedro does not want to participate in the quarterfinal!
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca confirmed on Thursday that forward Pedro Neto will decide whether to play in Friday’s Club World Cup quarterfinal against Palmeiras, as the Portuguese international mourns the tragic death of his close friend and teammate Diego Jota. Jota, a Liverpool forward, and his brother were killed in a car accident in northwestern Spain on Thursday morning when their Lamborghini veered off the road and caught fire. Neto, deeply affected by the loss, was excused from training but chose to remain with the squad in Philadelphia. “It’s a difficult moment. You feel helpless,” Maresca said in a press conference. “Pedro is more than sad, and we are all here to support him. Any decision he makes—whether to play or not—is the right one, and we will back him fully.” Neto’s potential absence adds a layer of uncertainty for Chelsea, which is preparing to face a Palmeiras side featuring 18-year-old winger Estevao Willian, a player set to join the Blues after the tournament. Estevao was signed last year for an initial 34 million Euros, with add-ons potentially bringing the deal to 67 million, according to British media.
Messi still unfit in training; the Coach expects him to be fit before the Porto match
Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said Lionel Messi would be fit to face Porto at the Club World Cup on Thursday, despite showing signs of discomfort in training. A video emerged of Messi touching his left leg during the session on Wednesday, but Mascherano confirmed the veteran forward was ready for Miami’s second Group A match in Atlanta. “On the trip from Miami to Atlanta I saw that came out in some places, but Leo is fit, he trained, he completed the whole session,” Mascherano told reporters. “He was touching his leg, sometimes people touch themselves, but there’s no problem, he’s fit and obviously he will play tomorrow.” The coach said Messi’s former Barcelona team-mate Jordi Alba was available after missing the opening 0-0 draw against Al Ahly due to injury. “We’ll evaluate what’s best for us if he starts or not,” said the coach. “Actually, I already know but I won’t tell you.” Mascherano meanwhile said retaining possession would be the key against Portugal’s Porto, regular Champions League participants who are likely to provide the MLS team with a stern test. “We have players who feel much more comfortable when they’re in possession, dominating, and having control of the game through the ball,” said the Argentine. “Of course, we’re facing a team that also is used to doing that, who are a high-level side. “But on the pitch, we’re 11 against 11, we’ll try to shut down their strengths, expose their weaknesses, and try to have a great game to get a good result.” Inter Miami midfielder Sergio Busquets, a member of Spain’s 2010 World Cup-winning side and one of Messi’s former Barcelona team-mates admitted his team would be up against it at the Mercedes-Benz stadium.
