Enrique before Villarreal clash: Our previous results won't help us tomorrow

Luis Enrique, the head coach of Paris Saint-Germain, has stressed the necessity for his team to enter the match against Villarreal with great ambition and focus from the first minutes. He emphasized that previous results will hold no value if his players do not deliver the required level in the match scheduled for Tuesday, as part of the fourth round of the group stage in the UEFA Champions League.

Enrique said during the press conference: "We need to show from the first minutes that we have ambition. Every competition represents an opportunity to see players in different situations and circumstances, and we are always open to that."

Speaking about his feelings within the club, he said: "The very positive thing is that I feel much more comfortable today compared to my first day. Even though I am in a different club, I feel at ease."

He warned his players against relying on the results the team has achieved since the start of the season, stating: "If we think that the results we have achieved since the beginning of the season will make us win tomorrow's match, we are mistaken. The results we achieved in the past will not help us in tomorrow's match. It is impossible to win without ambition, quality, and the desire to run throughout the match."

He added: "We will see the capabilities of Villarreal, they are a very good team with an outstanding coach, and they have faced a tough schedule. We need to be ready and show our desire to win from the start."

Regarding the match against Villarreal at their stadium, the Spanish coach clarified that his team did not prepare a different plan for this game, stating: "We did not plan for this match differently. We want to be at our best consistently, regardless of the match or the players. We will play in a different stadium that embodies the spirit of football, and against a good team. It will be difficult to overcome their pressure, but it will be a testing experience, and I enjoy such challenges. We need to pay attention to everything."

Luis Enrique spoke about his impact at Paris Saint-Germain, highlighting that the atmosphere in top clubs is characterized by exaggerated reactions to results. He said: "I have gotten used to being in environments that are either extremely positive or extremely negative, because balance is absent in top clubs. When we lose, we are bad, and when we win, we become geniuses. We need to focus on the important things, like delivering an excellent training session with the players. When we achieve record numbers, it means there is a strong foundation within the club, thanks to the players, and that is the source of my happiness."

He also praised the development of defender Illya Zabarnyi, expressing his confidence in his abilities and potential. He said: "What I see is the improvement of almost every player, and this is very positive for me. Zabarnyi is a young player, but he has experience. We trust his physical and technical abilities; he can play in tight spaces and deliver long balls, and he knows how to defend without making mistakes. It is not easy to be able to compete in a team the size of Paris Saint-Germain from the moment you arrive, but he has done that, and I am happy for him. I feel he has become more comfortable when playing, and I hope he becomes more important for the team."

Speaking about the need to avoid repeating what happened last season, when Paris could not finish in the top eight of the league, he said: "Last year we started in the same way we started this season, but we did not finish in the top eight. This is the nature of the UEFA Champions League. It is very important that we are prepared for all scenarios, and we want to improve compared to last season in this competition, and we must recognize that away matches are always difficult."

Luis Enrique expressed his admiration for Villarreal manager Iñigo Pérez, despite the difficulty of his team's fixture list, saying: "Their schedule has been extremely tough, as they have faced Dortmund, Napoli, Liverpool, and us. Many would probably complain, but that's not the case with Iñigo Pérez. I like this young coach who has his own ideas for delivering very high-level football. His team is showing a lot of positive things, and I believe Villarreal made the right choice in hiring him."

He added: "We made it clear to our players that we will face a tough opponent who wants to dominate possession. We either need to be at our best or we will not win the match."

The recent loss of Villarreal to Espanyol was addressed, with the belief that negative results do not diminish the quality of the project led by Pérez. He stated: "When you hire a young coach, you have a clear idea of the style of play you want to present. There will be defeats along the way, but there will also be important things. Villarreal has previously turned their season around after a difficult start, and I believe the beginning of this project is already showing wonderful things. I hope they are not at their best tomorrow, but you can never predict what will happen in football, and the best team will win."

He continued: "If they have some doubts, that could be to our advantage, but things can change very quickly. We will need to put in a very good performance both offensively and defensively."

He also praised Pérez's character and how he handles his coaching project, considering that he possesses the qualities for success. He said: "We know that the most important thing in football is results, but Pérez has indeed proven to have great intelligence, and he is a good example for any coach. Taking shortcuts is not very beneficial. We must stick to our ideas until the end, and lose while playing our style. We may lose; I have been a bad coach in the past, and now everyone thinks I am the Special One. This is life, with its twists and turns, and moments of ups and downs. He retains many positive aspects, and I am convinced that he will have a great coaching career."