Behind PSG’s success: Luis Enrique pays special tribute to his staff

PSG head coach Luis Enrique dedicated tributes to the unsung heroes of the team ahead of the Champions League final against Arsenal on May 30.

Speaking to press on media day at Campus PSG (via Foot Mercato), Les Parisiens boss Luis Enrique took time to discuss and heap praise on his coaching assistants, who played an integral part in the team’s maiden European success last season and a potential second successive silverware in this term. Apart from the Champions League, Paris Saint-Germain have picked up three Ligue 1 titles since the Spanish manager took over the reins at the club.

The former Barcelona manager spoke at length focusing on two of his closest companions on the touchline, Rafael Pol and Joaquin Valdes, who have been in his staff for several years. About Pol, Enrique remarked, “I need a lot of time to describe them. Rafael Pol is brilliant in every aspect of the game. I’ve known him for a long time. He started as a fitness coach. Then we progressed together. He’s my right hand in both my personal and professional life.“

The PSG coach also humorously noted the regional rivalry with Valdes that comes with their shared Asturian roots. He said: “Joaquin Valdes is the only person who’s been with me since day one. It’s difficult because he was born in Oviedo and I was born in Gijon. There are 28 kilometers between us. It’s like Paris and Marseille. We’re a good combination. He’s an important person for me in my development as a coach. I was different as a player. On the pitch, I’m calmer as a coach than I was as a player. He’s responsible for that.”