“’You don’t have a f***ing clue‘ (‘No tenéis ni p*** idea’), that’s how you can title the documentary”, commented Luis Enrique to the camera -in a jocular tone- during the first takes and explanations of the aforementioned documentary that has just been released by the Spanish channel ‘Movistar’. Said and done. Soul of a leader, he suggests, expresses, orders and commands in his day-to-day life to everyone around him with the firm conviction of making his environment better, normally a football locker room. He believes in himself the most and that has led him to renew his contract with PSG until 2027 -only one year after his signing-, even though he had initially rejected this bench…
Among other personal facets of Luis Enrique, what this documentary reveals is his tremendous confidence in what he does, his infinite energy and his constant search for good humor. He breaks the stereotype of a curmudgeon, although it is reaffirmed that he goes to the shock when he hears criticism from the press. What’s more, he likes this confrontation because he feels superior (with more information and knowledge) when it comes to being able to argue some of the moves for which he is criticized. He understands that few people can understand his vision of football and the game.
HIS CHAT WITH MBAPPÉ
He doesn’t give “a damn” about making enemies outside his circle, just as he doesn’t care much about having to repeat to a star in his dressing room that he should do better or defend, as when he let Mbappé know in a match in which the French scored 3 goals. His arguments and explanations break down any wall or fear of pulling the ears of a star. In the documentary, it is clear how his defiant character and his firmness in decisions, even in the most difficult moments, have marked his career, both in the Spanish National Team and now at PSG.
Luis Enrique has been renewed by the PSG leadership, knowing that he is an independent coach who does not seek easy applause, but rather to build teams based on discipline and confidence in his ideas. Some of them difficult to understand for the players themselves. When he took over the team, he was aware that they needed training sessions to assimilate the concepts of the game that – little by little and accompanied by haste and criticism – were landing in Paris.
CONVINCED NASSER AL-KHELAIFI AND LUIS CAMPOS
But it is this sincerity that has impressed the president, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, and the general manager, Luis Campos. They have placed all their trust in him from the very first moment. That moment when Luis Campos went to see Luis Enrique at his home in Barcelona in 2023 and promised him that he would make the signings and discards that he considered. That was what made Luis Enrique see that he could work with guarantees and what turned his answer from an initial “no” to a “yes” that has just been reaffirmed with a new contract renewal and extension: from 2025 to 2027.
