At the pre-match press conference at MetLife Stadium on 8/7, Enrique was asked if PSG was stronger without Mbappe. "This is a question about the past, and I'm not here to talk about the past. I'm only thinking about the future," the Spanish coach replied.

Coach Luis Enrique consoles Kylian Mbappe after PSG's loss to Dortmund in the Champions League semi-final second leg at Parc des Princes, Paris, France on 7/5/2024. Photo: Reuters

Coach Luis Enrique consoles Kylian Mbappe after PSG's loss to Dortmund in the Champions League semi-final second leg at Parc des Princes, Paris, France on 7/5/2024. Photo: Reuters

Mbappe developed at Monaco before moving to PSG in the summer of 2017. During his 7 years with the Parisian club, he set the club's scoring record (256 goals) and won 15 titles.

Last summer, Mbappe declined to renew his contract with PSG and moved to Real Madrid on a free transfer. His goal was to win the Champions League, the only major title missing from his collection. With PSG, his best Champions League result was reaching the final in 2020 (losing 0-1 to Bayern), in addition to semi-final appearances in 2021 (losing to Man City) and 2024 (losing to Dortmund).

However, this season, Real Madrid had a disappointing Champions League campaign, being eliminated by Arsenal in the quarter-finals, while PSG won their first Champions League title. Individually, Mbappe still performed well, winning the La Liga Golden Boot with 31 goals and his first European Golden Shoe.

Enrique reportedly had a strained relationship with Mbappe at PSG. The 55-year-old coach once compared the French forward unfavorably to basketball legend Michael Jordan, criticizing his perceived lack of effort and defensive contribution before facing Barcelona in the 2023-2024 Champions League quarter-final second leg.

Enrique acknowledged that facing his former player added extra intrigue to the encounter. "Playing against the most successful team in the world is definitely a huge motivation," he added.

PSG faced challenging conditions in New Jersey, with the match against Real Madrid taking place in the afternoon. Temperatures during the other semi-final between Chelsea and Fluminense, played at the same time the previous day, soared to over 35 degrees Celsius with over 54% humidity, prompting a warning from the National Weather Service.

"We are getting used to playing in these conditions, as it's normal throughout the World Cup. Everything will go as usual," Enrique said. "The playing conditions are not ideal, but both teams have to endure them."

This will be Enrique's 9th encounter against Real Madrid, following 6 matches managing Barcelona and two with Celta Vigo. The Spanish coach has a good record, with 4 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw. "Facing Real Madrid is always a special match. We enjoy playing these kinds of games because it means the team is performing well and progressing in the tournament," he expressed.

The winner of this match will face Chelsea in the final, also at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, 8 km west of New York City, at 2 a.m. on 14/7, Hanoi time.

Compiled by Hong Duy