Soccer
I don’t respect bad opinions – Luis Enrique rejects criticism of PSG defending
Luis Enrique has hit back at critics of Paris St Germain’s 5-4 victory over Bayern Munich in the highest scoring Champions League semi-final in history.
The nine-goal thriller at the Parc des Princes puts PSG in the driving seat for Wednesday’s second leg, but the standard of the defending was highlighted by pundits Clarence Seedorf, Wayne Rooney and Lothar Matthaus.
“Football is like life – there are opinions everywhere,” said boss Luis Enrique ahead of Saturday’s Ligue 1 home appointment with Lorient.
“I don’t think it’s important to respect all opinions – if the opinion is bad, you don’t have to respect it.
“There are people who like football played like that. It’s the majority and it includes me. But there are people who don’t like it.
“I think the majority of people who like football enjoyed the match and that’s what’s important.
“I can’t be frustrated because it was a unique football match. It was a spectacular game.
“Since I joined Paris St Germain, Bayern Munich have been the toughest opponents we’ve faced. It’s time to congratulate both teams.
“The standard of the match was incredible, particularly from the strikers. Look at how Ousmane Dembele and Harry Kane, the two centre-forwards, defended throughout the match.”
After the high of Tuesday night, PSG must regroup in time to see off Lorient knowing they are closing in on a fifth successive Ligue 1 title.
They could yet be caught by second-placed Lens, who are six points behind in the table, and Luis Enrique is considering his team selection carefully ahead of the return fixture against Bayern.
“Bayern was the most intense match of the season and it was the most important,” he said.
“The emotion of the match can make you tired because you can’t control it, but when the last matches of the season come it’s always normal to play with this type of energy.
“At the moment, we want to win. We need to win the three points against Lorient. We have to judge and analyse everything to see what are the best options.
“We are getting to the last moments of the season and I will not give any information to Lorient, to Bayern Munich. It works like that.
“We have to win the three points and we have to recover to play what will be the most important match of the season in Munich next Wednesday.”
