Paris Saint-Germain manager, Luis Enrique insists there is no lingering sentiment ahead of a highly anticipated Club World Cup semi-final against Real Madrid.
Note that PSG’s former talisman, Kylian Mbappé, is set to face his former club for the first time since he left them for Real Madrid after a very controversial last season at Parc des Princes.
The showdown will take place at 8 p.m. tonight, July 9, at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
In the pre-match press conference, Luis Enrique stressed that facing Real Madrid at this stage of the Club World Cup shows that he and his team have done well.
“Playing against Real Madrid is always a special game,” Enrique said. “We are delighted to be playing in a game like this because it means we have done a good job up to now.”
Recall that PSG booked their spot in the semi-final after a dramatic victory over Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals. The match cost PSG key defenders Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernandez, who are both suspended after receiving red cards.
The Parisians enter this showdown fresh from a historic season in which they won their first UEFA Champions League title. But looming large is the figure of Mbappé, their once cherished star, who is now a rival.
Enrique, who managed the France captain in the striker’s last season at PSG, stressed that the crisis between the player and the club is a thing of the past.
“All I can say is that belongs in the past, it is behind us now,” the coach said.
“Lots of things make this a special game. This game is important because it is a Club World Cup semi-final. That makes it very interesting and we need to be ready to remain focused on the match. We are very close to playing another final and that is a true motivation.”
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