Luis Enrique has no qualms over going into battle with former club Barcelona as he attempts to end Paris St Germain바카라s quest for Champions League glory. (More Football News)
The 53-year-old Spaniard guided Barca, for whom he had made 300 appearances as a player, to European glory as manager in 2015 and was handed the task of repeating the feat with the big-spending French champions last summer.
The two sides go head-to-head in the first leg of their quarter-final showdown at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday evening with no question over where Enrique바카라s loyalties lie.
He told a press conference: 바카라Of course I like Barcelona, but I바카라m very pleased to be here at PSG. I just need to focus on my job and this team and building confidence here.
바카라I think I바카라m capable of bringing trophies to this club and I바카라m full of desire to be at the top level in this tie.바카라
Enrique바카라s former team-mate Xavi 바카라 who he sent on as a late replacement for Andres Iniesta in the 3-1 2015 final victory over Juventus in Berlin 바카라 will be in the away dugout as the Catalan giants attempt to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2019.
However, the PSG boss is not convinced his inside knowledge will do him any good.
Enrique, who will be without the suspended Achraf Hakimi, said: 바카라I have to say that I don바카라t know Xavi at all as a coach. I know about him as a player 바카라 he was my team-mate 바카라 I know about him as a footballer, but not as a coach.
바카라I know the club very well, I know Barcelona and the players, but I don바카라t know if that could be an advantage. Maybe it could be the opposite.바카라
PSG, who are on a 27-game unbeaten run in all competitions, have not made the quarter-finals in three seasons, while five-time winners Barca have gone out in the group stage in each of the last two campaigns.
The sides are meeting in the last eight for the fourth time with Barca having come out on top in the last two in 2012-13 and 2014-15, with the French giants getting the better of their Spanish opponents back in 1994-95.
PSG held sway the last time they were last paired together 바카라 in the last 16 바카라 three seasons ago when Kylian Mbappe바카라s hat-trick secured a 4-1 first-leg victory at the Nou Camp after Lionel Messi had opened the scoring from the penalty spot before both men scored in a 1-1 draw in the return.
However, perhaps the most remarkable tie in which the two clubs have been involved came at the same stage of the 2016-17 campaign when the Catalan giants returned from the Parc des Princes on the wrong end of a 4-0 scoreline to win 6-1 on home turf.
Barcelona reached the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in four years after beating Napoli in the round of 16 and boss Xavi was feeling the 바카라excitement바카라 for Wednesday바카라s tie.
바카라I think the word for tomorrow, after being out of the quarter-finals for four years, is excitement,바카라 he said in a press conference.
바카라We can dream and we are very motivated.
바카라We are enjoying our best form of the season and we will face a team prepared to win the Champions League with one of the better coaches in Luis Enrique. I have all the respect in the world for them.바카라
