Sports
Enrique defends goalkeeper selection after narrow win in Intercontinental Cup
The PSG boss was in a frosty mood with the media following the triumph over Flamengo
Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique was not happy with questions about his goalkeeping selection for the Intercontinental Cup win over Brazilian side Flamengo.
The Spaniard opted to deploy second-choice Matvey Safonov, who came up with some heroics during a penalty shootout to earn his side another piece of silverware in 2025.
PSG had taken the lead in the match through Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, after Fabian Ruiz’s earlier effort had been ruled out.
But former Arsenal and Chelsea man Jorginho converted a second-half penalty to level the game and take it to extra-time.
With the stalemate unbroken, the match was decided by penalties. Safonov was spotted off his line for one of the efforts he saved, prompting a barrage of questions for Enrique post-match.
But the head coach was having none of it. Speaking after the game, he said: “(On the goalkeeping hierarchy) Do you think this is the right time to talk about that?
“It’s a time to be united. It’s a time to enjoy winning another trophy. It’s a time to congratulate all the players, those who played and those who didn’t. And a time to congratulate our fans. We want to make history. We’re continuing to make history.
“That’s been the objective this season. We have to enjoy these moments. We showed again the mentality we had last year. There’s still one French Cup match left before the Christmas holidays. After that, our objective will be the same as last year: to keep winning and keep looking for players who play good football.
“We saw a very good match against a team like Flamengo, who play very well. The first half was very good; we pressed very well. We played in the opponent’s half. I think we played a very good match.
“This is the first time I’ve seen a goalkeeper save four penalties. We deserved this trophy.”
