The Spanish coach of Paris Saint-Germain, Luis Enrique, pointed out that his “objective” and “intention” in the scuffle that broke out after the final whistle of the Club World Cup title match was to “separate the players.”
The images clearly showed that the PSG coach hit Joao Pedro from Chelsea.
What did Luis Enrique say about the shameful fight in the final?
“At the end of the game there is a situation that I believe is completely avoidable, by everyone. My goal and intention, as always, is to try to separate the players so that there are no more problems. There is a lot of tension, a lot of pressure,” he said after the game at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
While the cameras did capture Luis Enrique’s punch to Joao Pedro’s face, they also showed both of them talking calmly after the heated altercation between the two teams.
“There have been a series of shoves from many people, which I believe we should all avoid. My intention, as always, is to prevent any situation from escalating. I saw Maresca (Chelsea’s coach) being pushed, pushing back, I know the tension, our intention is to separate. My goal is to separate the players so that the situation does not escalate further,” stated the coach.
Chelsea, the rightful champion
On the other hand, Luis Enrique accepted the tough defeat against the English team.
“It was difficult during the first few minutes, they were full of energy. They started very well, with a high level of pressure and we had difficulties, we tried to score, but we couldn’t. They deserved this victory, they played very well. Chelsea, as I said, is a great team,” he asserted.
The Spanish coach rejected the idea that they are “losers” and appeared calm about possible criticisms. “There are no losers here, only a runner-up. Losers in life are those who give up, who don’t get back up, here, in high-level sports, there are no losers. It’s very nice to know, and it’s known in delicate moments, who is by your side and who isn’t. I have a characteristic since I was very young, I may be more or less liked, but I am lucky to be very well-liked by all the people who know me," said Luis Enrique.
In addition, the PSG coach gave his approval to the new Club World Cup. “It is a tournament born out of the need to determine which is the best team in the world. It can become a competition of very high level, with the difficulty of the schedule,” he concluded.