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Soccer News of Tuesday, 28 November 2023

Source: www.sportsbrief.com

Luis Enrique snubs Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappe as he names most influential player in the world

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PSG Coach Luis Enrique PSG Coach Luis Enrique

Luis Enrique stands out as one of the most well-travelled managers in the world of football.

Having initially made a name for himself as a player at Barcelona, the 53-year-old transitioned to coaching by taking charge of the Catalan club's feeder team in 2009.

His exceptional results quickly propelled him up the coaching ranks, and within a short two years, he assumed a managerial role at the prestigious Italian Serie A club, AS Roma.

Following his stint at AS Roma, Enrique continued his managerial journey by overseeing affairs at La Liga club Celta Vigo before going on to achieve remarkable success back at Barcelona. After a trophy-laden tenure with the Catalan club, he took the reins of the Spanish national team.

Despite some setbacks at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Enrique departed the national team and eventually accepted the vacant position at the French club Paris Saint-Germain.

Throughout his managerial odyssey, Enrique has managed a host of top football stars, including the likes of eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi, Brazil's Neymar Jr., and more recently, Kylian Mbappe.

Surprisingly, amid this array of football stars he has managed, the former Barcelona manager has singled out a rather unexpected player as the most influential footballer in the world.

Enrique revealed his choice for the most influential footballer ahead of PSG's UEFA Champions League clash against Newcastle United.

During a media session, when asked about Ousmane Dembele's form, Enrique, as quoted by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, emphatically stated,

"I keep insisting on my point: Ousmane Dembele is the most influential football player in the world. No doubts."

He went on to praise Dembele's fearless approach to the game, highlighting his resilience in the face of mistakes, his constant drive to try new things, and his ability to tune out criticism while consistently generating positive outcomes.

“He doesn’t care about mistakes. He keeps going, he loves to try. He doesn’t listen to criticism… he always generates good things”.

Despite the awe-inspiring displays put on by Dembele against Monaco, the lavish praise bestowed upon him by Enrique seems particularly surprising.

This is especially noteworthy considering that the French forward has only managed to find the back of the net once since his transfer to PSG, as reported by Whoscored. However, the manager's comments have sparked mixed reactions from various quarters amongst fans.