‘The favourites are on the other side of the draw’ – PSG’s Luís Enrique reacts to upcoming Barcelona return

Paris Saint-Germain manager Luís Enrique believes that his side are on the right side of the draw in the UEFA Champions League after drawing former club Barcelona in the quarter-finals. 

PSG’s reward for beating Real Sociedad in the Round of 16 is a match against Barcelona. PSG have met Barcelona twice in the Champions League in recent times. The first encounter is known for the historic remontada, which saw Barcelona recover from a 4-0 defeat at the Parc des Princes to qualify. The manager for Barcelona on that night? Luís Enrique, the current manager at PSG. 

Speaking on Saturday, Luís Enrique said he doesn’t believe that that famous remontada was the crowning achievement of his managerial career. “It isn’t [ the best moment of my career] because it didn’t allow us to win the Champions League. Juventus knocked us out just after. But no, it’s not the most important match of my career,” he said.

Les Parisiens also met the La Liga side in the quarter-finals in the 2020/21 edition of the Champions League. It was the Ligue 1 side that progressed on that occasion. Whilst Luís Enrique is aware of the challenge in store, he believes that PSG are on the right side of the draw. 

“We are lucky because we return to Spain, and me to Barcelona, the city where I spent most of my sporting career. We knew that we would be facing a top-level team, with a lot of individual quality. We are on a side of the draw where everyone has the chance to get to the final and then there is the other side with the favourites: Real Madrid and Manchester City,” said Luís Enrique.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle