PSG/Aston Villa – Luis Enrique’s blunt words on the Super Cup and aims | OneFootball

On Wednesday, in the 2026 UEFA Super Cup, Paris Saint-Germain (Champions League winners) will face Aston Villa (Europa League winners) at Salzburg’s Red Bull Arena (kick-off at 9pm, live on Canal+). On the eve of this match, Paris coach Luis Enrique answered several questions at a press conference.

Luis Enrique: “We will try to perform well.”

Are you mentally refreshed for the season?

Of course. I was able to rest for practically the whole summer. We’re fresh again, and we’re happy to be back. We’ve already had two and a half weeks of training. We’re getting the players back little by little, and tomorrow we start with a final. That means we did a good job last year. We will try to perform well.

Is the goal still to win the Champions League again?

Of course. We have very ambitious goals and we’ll keep going that way. It’s a different scenario. I think now everyone believes we can win it again. But that’s just theory. After that, you have to show your level on the pitch. We’ll try to win again. If you look at history, it’s difficult to find a team that wins all the time. We’re aiming to be there.

Luis Enrique: “We are preparing for the season intelligently, to be in the best possible condition at the end of the season”

Is PSG ready today? How do you manage this week?

I remember last year, it was very unusual. It’s the same thing now. It shows that we did a good job. But in terms of preparation, it’s complicated to manage each player’s workload and minutes. We’ll see tomorrow; we’re trying to be at our best level. We are preparing for the season intelligently, to be in the best possible condition at the end of the season, not at the beginning. But we accept it and we’re happy to be here.

A word about the opponent, whom you have faced in the past?

They have important players who have left, so it’s difficult to know what kind of team will play after preseason. It’s important to play for a European trophy. We’ll see what kind of match both teams can produce.

Luis Enrique: “We still need to be unpredictable.”

Any memories of the 2025 Champions League quarter-final? Was it a defining success for what came next?

If we analyze the last two years, every opponent has shown their level against us, and we can see our improvement in every knockout tie over the last two seasons. We’re happy with what we’ve done and with the way we play, but we still need to be unpredictable. That’s what we are looking for, and it will be important throughout the season. We are starting the season with the same mentality and the same desire to win trophies.

Ferran Torres to PSG?

I’m not talking about the transfer window.

Has Spanish football become more important?

Spanish football has been at the highest level for several years now, both in terms of players and coaches. We can be proud of that. I hope there will be more trophies for the national team.

A word on FIFA and Infantino?

I’m focused on my players, my team and the transfer window! I have nothing to say about that; that’s for the politicians. I do have an opinion, of course, but this is not the place for it.

No wins in preseason and several key players only recently back, is it a difficult situation?

It’s a crazy situation, I only got players back very late. Almost everyone returned very late. It’s a situation we accept, and we prepare with that in mind. It’s good that we’re here, because it means we won the Champions League. But as for tomorrow’s level, it’s hard to say. It’s important to give a good account of ourselves and try to win. It’s a final, but it’s a special match.

Luis Enrique: “I don’t want to talk about one player individually.”

Barcola is in the squad, is he on his way out?

We’re training today, and we’re analyzing all the important factors for us. Then we’ll make a decision. I don’t want to talk about one player individually. It’s always dangerous.

How do you keep the players motivated?

I’m very lucky, I have incredible players and everyone is motivated. That’s a key factor. They don’t need any extra motivation. They feel that desire to play, that enjoyment. They always want to improve. I’m very lucky to have these players.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.