PSG: “Ligue 1 is much better than I thought”, ignites Luis Enrique before the clash against Monaco

PSG able to cope with the absences of Marquinhos and Warren Zaire-Emery: “Without a doubt. I have the best squad in the championship. When you have an injured player, it's always a sad moment. But the squad is large and of a very good level.”

Monaco: “It’s a team that I really like because it doesn’t calculate, it always has the same high pressure and doesn’t think about the result. There is a good defensive block. Behind us, it is the team which generates the most chances and scores the most goals (these are the two best attacks in Ligue 1, 29 goals for PSG and 25 to the credit of Monaco, Editor's note). They should also have more points. It’s a team of our level and one that aspires to be even higher in the standings.”

First place in the ranking: “It’s better to be first than second but I don’t know if that gives more serenity, tranquility. The goal is to win the title and be the best team in the championship. We have the goal of winning all the titles. It’s an ambitious goal but it’s one that the club deserves.”

Crucial period: “No. These are indeed crucial matches in the Champions League, these two matches (Newcastle Tuesday and Dortmund December 13) will determine whether we advance to the group stage or not. In Ligue 1, we will also have important matches but the season will still be long. We have a lot of desire after this break. We want to continue the momentum from before the international break.”

The infernal cadences between club and selection: “I don’t want to get into this kind of controversy. There is a calendar, it is what it is. All players want to be international and play for their country, that was the case for me as a player. From there, I do my job as a coach, which is to generate a reasonable workload for the players, I try to control what I can control. Everything else I can't... I take my players for what they are and the team has sufficient resources to deal with these problems. Whether I like it or not, I don't want to talk about it because the calendar is like that, some people have decided it that way. As for me, I adapt to the situation as it is. I hope that the players will recover as quickly as possible, not only the Parisians but all those who are injured, whatever the moment, whatever the competition.

Monaco, a turning point… or not: “It’s important for this to mean because it’s a direct rival but there will still be a lot of matches to play in this championship. It is certain that these are important matches against opponents who have the same aspirations as us. But it will not be decisive for the awarding of the championship. It's just about playing a high-level match, being better than the opponent, taking the ball from them, having the maximum number of scoring opportunities and not having too many. It will be a difficult match but I haven’t seen many that were easy in Ligue 1 so far…”

Boring Ligue 1: “No, not at all. I would even say more: I would like to see a lot more control as I see very open matches, with all the teams having a lot of chances to score. In fact, Ligue 1 is much better than I thought. Sometimes you hear opinions and you repeat them without necessarily checking... But I think on the contrary that it is a powerful league, a good championship with good players who often go to play in other very good championships, in England for example . Ligue 1 is not easy. Boring, let alone!”

Gonçalo Ramos' purchase option lifted: “This is very good news, which delights me for everything he represents as a player. If I think about the man he is, I'm even happier. He is a player of the future for the club, a very impressive striker. He can face very diverse playing situations. It’s a magnificent acquisition and I’m very happy that its option has been exercised.”

Presnel Kimpembe: “I'm not a doctor but he's been back in the group for two weeks, he's doing very well. I already knew him from having faced him (as a coach, Editor's note). Now I can't wait for him to fully return to the group, he's one of the leaders, one of the potential captains. The process must be followed, the doctors will decide. I’m very happy: it’s very sad when a player gets injured but it’s always a great moment when he comes back.” (Kimpembe has been out since the end of February with a ruptured Achilles tendon, Editor's note)

Main satisfaction at PSG: “I will tell you that I have known several. When you arrive at a new club, you always set yourself several objectives. I must say that in general, and for a long time now, I feel at home. What I receive from my players and what I perceive, in training or in matches, I really like. There is room for improvement. I am not a conformist coach. Neither do the players. I always want more. I want to both play well and win, be competitive, try to be better when we can be individually and collectively in matches and in training. I try to pass it on to the players.”

Danilo Pereira and Marco Asensio: “When you come back to the group, you can start. Then it will be my decision as a coach. But they have both available.”

Comments collected at a press conference