Following the controversy surrounding Gianluigi Donnarumma, PSG coach Luis Enrique has backed his goalkeeper. Ahead of the clash with Real Madrid, he also spoke about a statement made by his captain.
Gianluigi Donnarumma will be glad that he can finally concentrate on playing soccer and saving shots again this Wednesday. In the evening, he will battle with Paris Saint-Germain against Real Madrid for a place in the Club World Cup final and wants to put the quarterfinals behind him once and for all.
After the 2-0 win against Bayern Munich, the goalkeeper came under heavy criticism for his physical challenge against Jamal Musiala. So it was no surprise that his coach had to address the controversy surrounding Donnarumma once again before the semi-final – and that he defended the Italian.
“Everyone who knows Gigio knows that he’s a great guy,” Luis Enrique clarified. Unfortunately, injuries are part of soccer – “even serious ones” like the one Musiala suffered in the incident. “There was absolutely no malicious intent.” Donnarumma is now doing well again, “even though he was very shaken at first. He has already contacted Musiala, to whom we all wish a speedy recovery.“
Manuel Neuer in particular had been surprisingly harsh with Donnarumma during and after the game, criticizing his behavior in the incident and afterwards. Luis Enrique preferred to ‘ignore’ this at his press conference. ”I don’t want to comment on statements made by other players.”
Luis Enrique: What’s affecting the “show” against Real
He was happy to do so with his own captain, however. Marquinhos recently raved that Luis Enrique was the secret to PSG’s success. But Enrique disagreed: “I’d like to agree with him. But the secret is the team and the players’ ability to handle the pressure.“
Luis Enrique wants to make the next statement with his team against Champions League record winners Real, whom PSG avoided on their way to the trophy. ”It’s without a doubt a special game,” he said. “Playing against Real means playing against the most successful team in the world.” However, he preferred not to predict a top-class game, saying that the heat forecast in New Jersey, given the 3 p.m. kick-off time, was “not good for the show.” His pragmatic approach: “We’ll have to drink a lot, as always.”
