Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has always been quick to clip the ears of the press, but continues his frustration with the media in Paris.
Ahead of PSG‘s match-up with Rennes, Luis Enrique was asked about a statement that he had made during a recent documentary about him that has come out, in which he said that he would take a 25% salary cut to never have to speak to the press again. He doubled down on that, as reported by Relevo.
“If you tell me right now, sign a paper and I will never speak to the press again and you take away 25, or even up to 50% (of my salary), I will sign it.”
“I like to talk, I have never shortened a press conference, I love it and I can do it in several languages, badly, but I do it,” he noted but admitted that he would avoid it if he could. The Asturian is still conducting his press conferences in Spanish too, not feeling sufficiently comfortable to do so in French. “In the contracts, the clubs obligate managers to speak.”
‘Lucho’ has always been a strong character, and having had a number of run-ins with the press in Spain both as a player, and then as Barcelona and Spain manager, that has clearly conditioned his relationship with them. While press duties have always been present in football, previously there was a much closer relationship, with some managers even socialising with journalists after games, but the degree of pressure, the number of press conferences and the distance has grown significantly over the decades.
'It's part of the process' - Luis Enrique not concerned by recent PSG form
Luis Enrique is not concerned by Paris Saint-Germain's recent form, insisting "it's part of the process of the team growing".
PSG made a flying start to the Ligue 1 season, winning each of their opening three matches while scoring 13 goals along the way.
Yet, since the international break, they were forced to come from behind in their 3-1 win over Lille, and it took a last-minute own-goal to see them past debutants Girona in their Champions League opener.
Luis Enrique's side then dropped their first points of the league campaign when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Reims last weekend, but the Spaniard is focusing on the positives from his players' recent displays.
"I feel things differently," he told reporters when asked if there had been a decline in his side's performances. "Over the course of a season, there's an evolution; there are good moments and not so good moments, it's part of the logical process of the team growing.
"I find the opposite situation. I think the team has managed to solve the problems that the opponents have caused us."
PSG are top of Ligue 1 with 13 points - ahead of Marseille and Monaco on goal difference - ahead of welcoming Rennes to Parc des Princes on Friday.
"They're a team that plays at the top of the table, they caused us quite a few problems last season," Luis Enrique said of Julien Stephan's side, who held the reigning champions to a 1-1 draw in February.
"They took points against us, and they'll vary their behaviour as the game goes on. They did it last season.
"There are no easy games, there will be problems, but I'm an optimistic person when it comes to games like this. We're playing at the Parc and that spurs us on, too.
"Rennes are used to high pressing, but I don't think they'll do that tomorrow because they're an adaptable team. My job is to cope and find solutions. It's very difficult to fight a low block."
