Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta labelled former boss Luis Enrique as a “special coach” with a “unique talent” as the Spaniard looks to guide Paris Saint-Germain to Champions League glory.
Spain great Iniesta was part of the Barcelona team that Luis Enrique coached to the Champions League crown in 2015, beating Juventus in the final.
Luis Enrique will now look to become the sixth manager to win the trophy with two different clubs, along with Carlo Ancelotti (Milan, Real Madrid), Ottmar Hitzfeld (Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich), Jupp Heynckes (Madrid, Bayern), Jose Mourinho (Porto and Inter) and Pep Guardiola (Barcelona and Man City).
And Iniesta has no doubts over his former mentor’s credentials, having played a key part in the 3-1 victory over Juve in 2015 when he assisted Ivan Rakitic’s opener.
“He is a special coach,” Iniesta told Sky Sports in Munich, where Inter await PSG in Saturday’s showpiece.
“I have known him as a team-mate and as a coach and he has a unique talent. He is an incredible worker.
“He knows how to transmit his ideas to others, he knows how to convince. And he has very clear ideas about how he wants to play.”
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The 2015 triumph was Barcelona’s fifth European title, though PSG head into this clash with no such history.
Ligue 1 champions PSG lost their only Champions League final against Bayern in the 2019-20 season but remain the last French side to win a major European trophy – the 1995-96 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.
However, PSG have currently played the fourth-most games (167) without ever winning the European Cup/Champions League since it began in 1955.
They are only behind Arsenal (211), Dynamo Kyiv (185) and Atletico Madrid (176) in that aspect, and Iniesta knows all too well about getting over the line in major finals.
“They are special matches because you never play in those situations normally, but you also try to do it in a natural way, the same routines, the same things, so as not to put more pressure on yourself,” he continued.
Iniesta also has associations with both clubs, through Luis Enrique at PSG, and Inter due to their previous rivalry with Barcelona.
The last time that Inter lifted the trophy was in 2010 when Jose Mourinho’s side defeated Pep Guardiola’s Barca in a tense semi-final, where Iniesta missed both legs through injury.
“At the time, it was difficult to accept,” he adds, considering an outcome that Luis Enrique and all involved with PSG will hope to avoid in Munich.
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