His feelings before Atlético : “The feeling is almost the same as before the other C1 games, especially at home, optimism and confidence, with the aim of winning all three points.“

If he prefers to face a team that plays like Atlético : “I don’t have a preference. I’m going to bump into Diego Simeone again, we’ve already crossed paths as players but also as coaches. He’s a very good coach. It’s obviously very hard, you need a lot of energy, and it’s hard to convince your players over the long term. It’s hard to convince your players over the long term. To stay for so long, you’re obviously an incredible coach. It’s going to be a tough match, like all Champions League matches. They’re an opponent who knows how to play well as a team and has some great individual players. After that, whether we play against a team that adapts more to our idea of the game or one that has a totally different idea of the game, I have no preference.”

Atlético : “All the Atlético players are internationals, used to top-level matches, so they’ll be very competitive tomorrow (Wednesday) and will be at a high level. We’re halfway through this first phase of the competition, so we don’t know what’s going to happen. Their schedule will be more favorable than ours after this match, but that’s soccer, you never know what’s going to happen. We’re concentrating on tomorrow’s game, with the idea of doing things better than our opponents in order to get closer to victory. (…) I have no doubt that, despite their results against Benfica (0-4 defeat) and Lille (1-3 defeat), Atlético will show their best side tomorrow, a more competitive, stronger, more serious side. They’ll be a very tough opponent. I have no doubts about that. But at the Parc des Princes, the fans will be with us right up to the last second. And that’s the objective for us: to be competitive throughout the match.”

Two faces between the championship and the European Cup : “No, we still have the same face, the same collective idea. The competitions are different, and nobody doubts that the C1 is a higher level. But in terms of the aspects of our game that we can control, I’m very satisfied with my team’s performance, both in attack and defence. As far as the numbers are concerned, we’re one of the best teams in both defense and attack. I’d sign up straight away to have the same statistics as against PSV or Girona, albeit with different results, results that weren’t deserved. (PSG beat Girona thanks to a last-second CSC and shared the points against PSV, Editor’s note).”

A decisive match for qualification : “No, it’s not decisive, not at all. If a team loses tomorrow but wins the next four games, they’ll qualify without any worries. The match isn’t decisive, but it is important, and the aim is to win, that’s for sure. And our schedule is harder than theirs, that’s clear, very difficult, I’m aware of that, but you never know what’s going to happen in soccer.”

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It’s important not to depend on any particular player in the long term.

Luis Enrique

The Marquinhos/Pacho duo : “I understand that you tend to individualize things, that’s logical, normal and your job, but mine is to generalize things, to make sure that every player brings something to the team, whether in defense, midfield or attack. My objective is always collective, how to improve collectively. I have no doubt that we can improve defensively and in attack. That goes for the Marquinhos/Pacho duo, but also for Milan Skriniar and Lucas Berlado, the full-backs, the midfielders… It’s logical. It’s normal to look for players or duos that work well to establish a sort of hierarchy. But we analyze things globally. It’s important not to depend on any particular player in the long term.”

The lack of efficiency in C1 : “I don’t know, time will tell. I have no doubt that we’ll be one of the teams that scores the most. When will that happen? I’m not sure. What worries me is always generating chances when we’re stronger than our opponents. Obviously, we’re working week after week to improve our efficiency, but above all I want to have the same statistics as in the games against PSV and Girona. You see the result, but I see the overall picture, and it was very positive. We drew against Eindhoven, that’s soccer, but we could have won those two games. Nobody’s going to say it’s fair. But I’m not going to put on a show or create a whole scenario. Nor can we say that we’re going to buy this or that player and that he’ll guarantee a certain number of goals. We’re trying to solve it as a team, with the players who are best placed to make things happen.”

Antoine Griezmann : “He’s a French player, but he’s been in Spain for so long that you could almost say he has dual nationality! I don’t know if he wants it, but it doesn’t matter. The fact remains that he’s incredibly good at attacking, he can play as a second striker, in the flanks, he’s even played inside the game, he’s very complete, very versatile, great footballing qualities at the service of the team. His statistics for goals and assists are incredible. He’s a vital player for Atlético. We’ll obviously have to keep a close eye on him…”

If he was close to taking the reins of Atlético in the past : “That’s true, but I’d already made a decision, I’d made a commitment to another club. I think Atlético were very lucky to find Diego Simeone, because I wouldn’t have stayed for half the time he’s already spent there (smile). I don’t have the energy he has. He’s the best possible coach for Atlético, with all the titles he’s won. The Madrid fans can count themselves lucky (smile).”

Managing game time : “To play a Champions League match, a coach mustn’t make any calculations. Motivation is always important, everyone will want to play tomorrow. They’re ready for it. In other matches, other competitions, you have to be a little more attentive, judge preparation and motivation. But for a match like tomorrow’s, there’s no doubt, everyone’s ready.”

The indispensable Marquinhos : “The numbers speak for themselves in terms of what Marquinhos means to this club and this team. For me, it’s incredible to have a player with this profile, this ambition, this personality. He’s still young (30). He’s the leader of the team and someone who sets an example by example. That’s what we want, for him to stay for many years at this level.”

Interview at the press conference