Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique affirmed his great confidence in his players, following the victory over Barcelona 4-2, on Tuesday, in the Champions League, stressing his team’s ability to adapt to various match conditions and face the strongest competitors.
Enrique said in the press conference after the match: “I have the best players in the world, and that is what I believe. “They are the best for me, and there are no better players than my team.”
The Spanish coach praised the performance of Lucas Hernandez, who contributed to reducing the danger of one of Barcelona's most prominent players, and said: “He has great experience, and provided amazing control over one of the best players in the world. “He did everything right, he is an important player for the team and deserves this reward.”
According to the Spanish newspaper “AS”, Enrique believed that his team’s performance should not be evaluated based on the result alone, explaining that Paris Saint-Germain presented an outstanding first half defensively, and succeeded in recovering the ball through high pressure and creating opportunities to score more goals, before dealing with periods of Barcelona’s superiority in possession.
He added that the team's ability to adapt to the course of the game was an important factor in achieving victory, noting that the pressure exerted by the attackers, with the support of the rest of the players, contributed to reducing the threat of the opponent.
Speaking to Movistar Plus, Enrique said: “It was a difficult match as I expected. You don't realize Barcelona's level until you face them. The confrontation was largely equal; We performed well in the first half, then we suffered for some time in the second half when Barcelona controlled the game, before we regained control.”
The Paris coach stressed that winning major titles requires the ability to deal with various circumstances, especially against competitors who have similar or superior quality to his team, citing last season’s matches that required great tactical flexibility.
At the same time, Enrique refused to consider his team superior to the rest of the competitors, warning that the feeling of superiority could turn into a trap. He said: “We are not above others, and that would be the first trap if we thought we were the best or that we were an exceptional team.”
Regarding the injuries suffered by three of his players during the match, the Spanish coach explained that he was waiting for the results of the medical examinations, adding that the injuries were the worst thing the evening had for his team.
Despite the great victory, Enrique called for not to exaggerate in talking about the fortunes of Paris Saint-Germain, stressing that there is still a long way to go in the tournament, and that the elimination matches in April will be more decisive. He pointed out that his team finished the previous match against Barcelona aware of the difficulty of the opponent, who has the ability to score many goals.
Enrique concluded his speech by emphasizing the importance of continuing to work and maintaining ambition, focusing on the upcoming confrontation against Olympique Lyonnais in the French League, instead of being preoccupied with early expectations regarding the candidates to win the Champions League.
On Wednesday, the Disciplinary Committee of the Spanish Football Federation imposed a 4-match suspension on Real Betis midfielder Facundo Bernal, after he was sent off during his team’s 5-2 loss to Barcelona in the Spanish First Division at the beginning of this week.
Bernal received the red card in the 54th minute of the match held on Saturday, moments after Betis equalized 2-2.
The disciplinary report issued by the Spanish Federation stated that the player grabbed Barcelona striker Lamine Yamal by the neck before striking him twice with the head.
The “committee” considered that the player from Uruguay (23 years old) attacked Yamal without the ball.
The disciplinary regulations stipulate a suspension penalty ranging from 4 to 12 matches in such cases, so Bernal will receive the minimum penalty.
Yamal had received a yellow card for pushing Bernal before the incident that led to the Betis player being sent off.
Barcelona took advantage of the numerical deficiency to add 3 more goals, and Yamal contributed to one of them by assisting Gabriel Jesus' goal. The Catalan team's third goal in the match.
The committee also decided to suspend Betis' sporting director, Manu Fajardo, for two matches and fine him financially due to behavior considered to be in violation of the rules of sports discipline.
Bernal will miss Betis' matches against Celta Vigo, Malaga and Elche, in addition to a local summit against Sevilla on November 22.
Real Betis occupies fourth place in the Spanish League standings with 19 points.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency announced on Wednesday that players will lose their exemption starting in January 2027. For years, there has been a requirement to report one's whereabouts as part of a strict anti-doping regime during tournaments.
Under the new amendments to the World Anti-Doping Code, players included in the “Registered Test Group” will have to designate a daily period of 60 minutes during which they will be available for examinations during competitions, starting in 2027, thus ending the exceptional treatment that tennis had previously enjoyed due to the changing nature of match schedules and player movements.
The agency, an independent body concerned with protecting the integrity of the game, said it would reduce the size of the “registered testing pool.” About 80 percent of the players currently included in it will move to an “extended testing group” whose members will not be required to adhere to the daily presence period of 60 minutes.
She added: “The players who will remain within the (mini-registered testing group) will be required to allocate a daily period of 60 minutes to undergo examinations, similar to athletes in all sports adhering to the standards of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), whether during or outside of competition.”
The agency explained that the number of players subjected to tests across the two groups will remain close to the current situation, and that no major changes are expected in the frequency or size of the tests.
The new rules also give greater protection to players who are able to prove that a positive doping test result resulted from unintentional contamination, whether through medication, food, drink, exposure to environmental pollution, or through another person.
The regulations also allow greater flexibility in penalties in some cases, with options focusing on rehabilitation in cases of use of “prohibited substances not related to improving athletic performance.”
The players will be informed next November of the group they have been included in, without publicly revealing their individual rankings.
The agency confirmed that all players, regardless of the group they are classified into, are required to submit a sample when requested by a doping control official. The penalty for refusing to undergo an examination may reach a 4-year suspension.
