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PSG boss Luis Enrique reveals private feelings for Arsenal and makes bold Mikel Arteta claim

Luis Enrique of Paris Saint-Germain speaks during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD2 press conference at Emirates Stadium on September 30, 2024
-Credit: (Image: Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)


Luis Enrique has heaped praise on Arsenal, labelling Mikel Arteta's side as 'one of the best teams in Europe' ahead of their Champions League encounter. The Gunners will welcome Paris Saint-Germain to the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night, seeking their inaugural victory in the competition after a stalemate with Atalanta.

The Parisians' boss didn't hold back in his commendation for Arsenal in the run-up to the game. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Enrique said: "I think they are one of the best teams in Europe at the moment. With the ball they are a team very close to the top European level and without the ball they are also very good.

"I would even say that they are one of the best teams in the world without the ball. They are a team with a real identity. We are similar but also have different styles of play." Enrique also hailed Arteta, having briefly played alongside him at Barcelona.

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"I have good memories of him as a team-mate. He had a great career as a player, he had a very successful end to his career," he continued. "We haven't faced off against each other since we've both been coaching.

"Even if it's only five minutes before the game, I'd like to talk to him and it will be a pleasure to be able to greet him on Tuesday. He's one of the best coaches on the market right now and he's helped Arsenal become a club that wins titles again. He's a great coach and a great person."

Arteta, meanwhile, said: "I'm a huge admirer of him. He has an unbelievable personality, huge character, huge energy, always very supportive with young players.

"What I love about him is wherever he's been, as a player or a manager, his fingerprints are all over the place. You can sense it's his team the way his players behave, the way they want to attack and dominate games.

"The spirit, the energy they have, he has this unbelievable power with all the clubs he's been at, with the Spain national team. And then his approach to life, to his profession – it's something to really look at and I learnt a lot of things from him.

"I admire his honesty. He's straightforward – he will look in your eyes and tell you what he thinks. In the end, players appreciate that. They might like it more or less, depending on how it happens, but I have had two or three players here who were with him in the national team, and they always said the same thing, they all enjoy playing under him.

"When somebody can make you feel like that in this profession, it's a big quality to have. He's won pretty much every competition you can imagine already in his career, he has transformed a club that has a very clear identity. It's a very good test for all of us."