 "Xabi Alonso, Kylian Mbappe, and Luis Enrique. AP")
In the lead-up to the semi-final clash of the Club World Cup, Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique was made to address a topic of the club’s past, which ironically forms the present of Real Madrid. As one of the premier talking points about the clash is Kylian Mbappe facing his former side, a question on the Real Madrid forward was bound to get thrown at the PSG coach ahead of the much-anticipated contest. Enrique took the query but refrained from emphasising much on it.
Kylian Mbappe left PSG to join Real Madrid
Kylian Mbappe spent a remarkable seven years at PSG from 2017 to 2024. During the long stint, he was coached by various prominent managers, including Luis Enrique. Tonight, Mbappe will take on his former manager and will look to use the learnings he got from him to beat him and his team.
While having Kylian Mbappe in the team is like having a cheat code, PSG are currently the most in-form team. What’s more coincidental is the fact that PSG couldn’t win a Champions League trophy when Mbappe was in the squad, but they were able to acquire the silverware in the immediate season after he left for Real Madrid.
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Luis Enrique’s response on Kylian Mbappe
The situation propelled a journalist to ask Luis Enrique if his PSG is a better team now without Mbappe than when it had the France captain in its squad before his free transfer to Real Madrid last year. An expressive answer may have made headlines but the PSG manager did not give much importance to it.
“This is a question about the past and I’m not here to talk about the past, I’m only thinking about the future,” Luis Enrique told a press conference.
After leaving Paris, Kylian Mbappe received a rousing welcome at the Spanish Capital. He had a rough start to his Real Madrid tenure but eventually picked up and initiated a goal-scoring spree for Real Madrid. He finished the La Liga 2024-25 as the leading goal scorer. He scored 31 goals. He could prove to be a key for Xabi Alonso when Real Madrid will lock horns with the Champions League winners Paris St-Germain tonight.