Luis Enrique disagrees with Thierry Henry about there being too little attacking spectacle in Ligue 1. The Paris Saint-Germain coach is actually positively surprised by the level of the French league.
Henry sparked a minor controversy last week by criticizing the conservative playing style of many French clubs in the Ligue 1 after a Sunday with few goals. The legendary former striker and current coach of the French U21 national team faced backlash from Montpellier coach Michel Der Zakarian, who, in turn, received criticism from former French international Jérôme Rothen.
Amidst all the commotion, Luis Enrique was asked for his opinion during his press conference on Thursday ahead of the clash against AS Monaco. 'Is Ligue 1 boring? On the contrary. I see many open matches with plenty of scoring opportunities. The competition is much better than I had expected,' said the Spaniard, who took over as PSG coach this season. 'I believe it's a good league with many talented players who later make the move to the Premier League.'
Luis Enrique also has high expectations for the upcoming match on Friday against third-placed AS Monaco, a team that has impressed him. 'They don't play defensively, apply high pressure, have a strong attacking level, and a solid defensive block. They are the team that created the most chances after us. They should have had a few more points, considering the expected goals,' said the former Barcelona coach.
Injuries
Regarding the absence of captain and defensive leader Marquinhos and top talent Warren Zaïre-Emery due to injuries, and their subsequent miss in the Champions League match next Tuesday against Newcastle United, Luis Enrique downplayed the situation. 'In my opinion, I have the best squad in the league. Of course, it's always a sad moment when a player gets injured, but there are players who can replace them.'
