Luis Enrique’s Decision: Staying with PSG Amidst Mbappé’s Departure

Amidst speculations of a potential return to Barcelona, Luis Enrique has made a firm decision to continue as the head coach of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for the upcoming season, fulfilling the second year of his contract in Paris.

The Asturian coach shares a positive rapport with PSG’s sporting advisor, Luis Campos, and President Al-Khelaïfi. A recent meeting between them was fruitful, securing ‘Lucho’s’ continuity at the Parc des Princes.

Mbappé’s decision on February 15th to leave the club for another European giant, without a transfer fee (the club aims to receive a portion of the signing bonus), was a global bombshell and a setback for PSG’s project. Following the Parisian’s departure announcement, PSG has already initiated plans for the club’s future, focusing on new signings to complete the sporting project. Luis Campos aims to build a more solid and balanced team.

Learning from past mistakes, Campos intends to avoid overreliance on individual stars like Neymar, Lionel Messi, or Kylian Mbappé, whose presence resulted in national titles but failed to progress beyond the Champions League’s round of 16 in the last two seasons.

The PSG sporting direction expresses satisfaction with Luis Enrique’s performance. Despite facing challenges this year, the coach has steered the team to success with positive results and competitive performances in Europe. His ability to manage a complex locker room, trust in young talents, such as Barcola or Zaïre-Emery, is highly valued.

The club defines this year as a “transition” period, fulfilling the obligation to offload several players to reduce the wage bill. The objective has been achieved, and they plan to give Luis Enrique another year to solidify the project despite rumors of a possible departure. The Spanish coach is in high demand across Europe, with several clubs keeping tabs on him. However, he will stay in Paris for the next season.