I have to win even in a paddle game with Ashraf Hakimi: official, Luis Enrique's contract extended to 2030

Paris Saint-Germain announced, through a detailed and engaging interview with Luis Enrique, that his contract has been extended until 2030.

After extending his long-term contract until 2030, Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique talked about his deep connection with the fans, his friendship with Luis Campos and the philosophy of winning with fun at the Parc des Princes.

To formalize the contract extension of the 56-year-old head coach Luis Enrique until 2030, Paris Saint-Germain published an exclusive interview with him, which was recorded before the 3-1 Le Mans advantage. In this interview, the Spanish head coach said that he is satisfied and happy to work in an ambitious club that has complete trust in him.

Enrique has started his fourth season on the PSG bench and has never stayed with one team for so long in his coaching career. He said about this long stay: "Paris is different, Paris is a special place. The trust of the club, Nasser Al-Khelaifi and sports consultant Luis Campos is a pleasure for me. The working relationship with Luis Campos was very special from the first days. I remember a sentence I said when I was leading the Spanish national team: I don't know what the result will be after a few years, but I know that we will lose games. With this style of play, we might lose a match or even qualify for the World Cup or the Euros, but I deeply believe that this style of play is the best way to win. Normally I can't always make that connection with everywhere, but in Paris a real connection was formed with the fans and the club. I am a foreigner, but I hope that I will be connected to this city until the end of my life."

The head coach of the Parisians said about the team's identity and business: "Our first goal since arriving here was to make history. The constant thirst to win is one of the vital characteristics at the highest level of football. I even want to win the paddle match against Ashraf Hakimi, win the next match the next day, win the training and win the next official match. The goal is always the same; Winning and continuing to win. I would like our team to be known as a brave, respectful, ambitious and full of talented players. It is important to show children that it is possible to play football and win by having fun. The fans should also enjoy watching our game. Over the last two or three years, I have come across people who had no particular interest in Paris Saint-Germain, but who said they enjoyed the way our team played. This is a very beautiful compliment for me and I value it a lot."

"I'm the same old man with the same mistakes," Enrique said of his changes as head coach. I'm not perfect and I still make a lot of mistakes. I try to improve every day, I have football experience, but that doesn't mean I'm always right or that I don't have room for improvement. I don't want to be a coach who constantly gives orders and tells the player to do this, that and the other. Players need to understand the structure of the game in order to make the best decision at any moment and this is the key. They should be able to provide solutions by themselves and manage different situations. Everything should not be done only by the head coach's decision. We all move forward together and the players have to take more responsibility. "We predict the possible situations and movements of the opponent, but during the game it is the players themselves who must understand what is happening on the field."

He explained about the dressing room management and the age difference with the young players: "To be honest, this is a fact that scares me a little bit. The age difference between me and the young players is increasing every year, but if I look at my career, I can see that I have always built very good relationships with the players, and despite this age gap, this process continues. I love laughing, joking and being close to the players. Being close to children, joking and spending time with them gives me energy. Vitinia sometimes tells me that I don't know if you are joking or serious, and I laugh and say that it is up to you. Each player needs different speech in different situations. Some need encouragement and some need more serious treatment. Finding the best way to talk to each of them is fascinating and I love this part of my job. Everything, like our team, is constantly moving and changing."

Enrique said about his close working relationship with Luis Campos: "Recently I had a conversation with my son Pacho and I remembered the day Luis Campos came to my house when we started working. He had my home address, he came to see me and I remember that day very well. The communication between me and Luis was completely clear and intimate from the first minutes. He was someone I didn't know well yet, but I felt very quickly that he trusted me and wanted to do great things for the club. This link was a strange and positive surprise for me and was considered a big turning point. I've had good collaborations before, but this one was incredibly strong. The best working conditions for a coach is to have the same trust and joint movement. A sports manager must be brave and attract pieces that match the head coach's thoughts. "My thoughts and Campos are very similar, and this is one of the main secrets of our success."

The head coach of Paris Saint-Germain said in the final part of his talk about his place among the great coaches in the history of football: "I have never had the motivation to compare myself with other coaches. Everyone goes their own way and everyone should understand this. Many trainers try to copy what has worked for others, but the most important thing is to continue on your own personal path. This means you have to constantly ask yourself: Is this the style I want my team to play? If we're going to lose, do I want to lose like this? Accepting this issue is perhaps one of the most difficult tasks for a coach, but it is precisely these losses that make us reconsider. I don't need to be motivated by looking up to other coaches, and I don't want to add weight to my resume and accolades just to pass them up. I am happy with all my achievements so far and I have a great thirst to win many trophies, but when the time comes to fail, it should be accepted in the best possible way. On that day, another team, another coach and another club won and are happy, and that's life."