LUIS ENRIQUE PREPARED FOR 'UNIQUE' CLASH BETWEEN PSG AND REAL MADRID

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BY OWOLABI OLUWADARA

Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique described Wednesday’s Club World Cup semi-final showdown between the European champions and Real Madrid as “special” but dismissed questions over his relationship with Kylian Mbappe ahead of a reunion with the superstar striker.

“Competing against Real Madrid is consistently a remarkable match,” PSG’s Spanish manager conveyed to journalists during a press briefing at the MetLife Stadium, situated just outside New York, where the encounter will occur.

“We are delighted to be playing in a game like this because it means we have done a good job up to now.”

PSG came to the United States for the tournament fresh from winning the UEFA Champions League for the first time, in the season following Mbappe’s departure for Real.

Luis Enrique managed Mbappe during his concluding season in Paris, a tumultuous year in which the France captain was initially excluded from the squad for declining to endorse a new agreement and subsequently utilized minimally after indicating his intention to leave.

“All I can say is that belongs in the past, it is behind us now,” said Luis Enrique.

“Lots of things make this a special game. This game is important because it is a Club World Cup semi-final. That makes it very interesting and we need to be ready to remain focused on the match.

“We are exceedingly near to competing in another final, and that serves as genuine inspiration,” stated the coach, who is without the defensive pair of Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernandez after both were expelled in the quarter-final triumph against Bayern Munich.

While PSG are seeking to end a trophy-laden season with even more silverware, the Club World Cup marks the start of a new era for Real under their new coach Xabi Alonso.

“I think it’s very difficult to analyse Real Madrid because Xabi Alonso is just starting his work there,” said Luis Enrique, who is closely associated with Barcelona but also played at the Santiago Bernabeu in the 1990s.

“For me it has always been a pleasure to play against Real Madrid and it always will be.