Coach Luis Enrique: 'Mbappe is the past, we only think about the future'

TPO - Ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup semi-final against Real Madrid, PSG coach Luis Enrique refused to talk about the star who used to be associated with the team, Kylian Mbappe.

In the pre-match press conference at MetLife, coach Enrique was asked whether PSG without Mbappe was stronger than the version that once had the French star.

"Such questions are about the past, and I am not here to talk about the past. I only think about the future," coach Enrique emphasized.

Mbappe grew up in Monaco, before moving to PSG in the summer of 2017. During his 7 years with the Parisian team, he set the club's scoring record with 256 goals and won 15 titles. Last summer, Mbappe joined Real Madrid on a free transfer.

Although avoiding direct mention of Mbappe, the Spanish strategist still acknowledged the special nature of the upcoming match: "Facing the most successful team in the world always brings special motivation."

PSG will continue to face extreme weather in New Jersey when the match takes place in the afternoon in blistering heat. The semi-final between Chelsea and Fluminense recorded temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) and humidity above 54 percent, forcing the US National Weather Service to issue a heat warning.

"We are getting used to playing in these conditions because it has been the norm throughout the tournament," said coach Enrique. "Of course it is not ideal for the performance, because it is difficult to play in these conditions. But it is fair, because both teams suffer the same."

Despite facing the weather challenge, Coach Enrique still expressed his excitement before the encounter with his fateful opponent.

"Playing Real Madrid is definitely a special game. But at the same time, we like games like this because it means you have done well to be in the semi-finals," he shared.

The winners of this semi-final will face Chelsea in the final next Sunday. Earlier, the Premier League representative defeated Fluminense 2-0 thanks to a double from new signing Joao Pedro.

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Trong Dat

Source: https://tienphong.vn/hlv-luis-enrique-mbappe-la-qua-khu-chung-toi-chi-nghi-ve-tuong-lai-post1758827.tpo