PSG/Flamengo – Niguez lets loose on Paris and Luis Enrique

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·17 December 2025

PSG/Flamengo – Niguez lets loose on Paris and Luis Enrique

This Wednesday at 6 PM (broadcast on M6 and beIN SPORTS) Paris Saint-Germain faces Flamengo at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Doha (Qatar) as part of the 2025 Intercontinental Cup final. In Le Parisien, Saul Niguez, a 31-year-old midfielder from the Brazilian club trained at Atlético Madrid (427 professional matches), shared his thoughts on the Parisian team and its coach Luis Enrique, with an outsider role that perfectly suits his club.

Niguez “a leader on the bench, a coach with a very strong personality, who imposes his style and understands football like few others.”

“What do you think of PSG? The PSG has had an exceptional run in the Champions League. The final was a spectacle. They have players of very high quality in all positions, a very solid group, and above all, a leader on the bench, a coach with a very strong personality, who imposes his style and understands football like few others. Are you admiring? What he has achieved is spectacular, there is no other way to describe it. Luis Enrique has a strong personality, he speaks his mind directly, exactly as he thinks. The authenticity and coaching style of Luis Enrique are good for football. This ‘madness’ is part of his aura and helps him achieve great things.

Niguez “PSG is a bit less strong than last season”

The current level of PSG? I think PSG is a bit less strong than last season, where the team was close to perfection. (…) The absence of Donnarumma is felt. PSG is still trying to regain the consistency of a few months ago. To worry PSG, you have to achieve a lot of things, because the team's defensive level is remarkable. Does it bother you that PSG is seen as the favorite? I think everything that makes PSG the big favorite works to our advantage. This role of challenger suits us perfectly. They have the necessity to win, the obligation is on their side, because they are the best. I think the final will be very contested. Anything can happen in a single match.”

Luis Enrique will appreciate such laudatory comments from a player he encountered when he was coaching FC Barcelona and who evidently retains a certain admiration for him. And, today, for what he has built at PSG. It must be said that the Parisian journey last season commands respect. Notably, a completely mastered and spectacular Champions League final.

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The difficulty today is to continue, being highly anticipated and with very little rest. The mission is difficult and, for now, Paris does not display the same strength as at the end of last season. One can easily agree with Niguez. However, it is quite logical and the Parisians mainly manage to overcome obstacles in order to be well placed in all competitions.

There has even been a rise in power in the game, which will need to be confirmed tonight against a strong Flamengo team. PSG arrives with a favorite status, but that means nothing on the field. Victory must be earned. Niguez and his teammates will have less pressure, but a strong desire to make history and qualities to use to achieve it. It is up to the Parisians to approach this match with maximum desire and concentration to make history even more.

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