Home
+
Published : 21 Apr 2025, 07:01 PM
Paris St Germain have already retained their Ligue 1 title but in what could turn out to be the club's greatest ever season, keeping players motivated is the most important thing at this stage of the campaign, manager Luis Enrique said on Monday.
PSG's priority may be winning their first Champions League trophy, with a semi-final against Arsenal to come, and the club can also retain the Coup de France against Stade de Reims in the final, but the league still has much to offer.
Luis Enrique's side can become the first team to remain unbeaten throughout a Ligue 1 season, and avoiding defeat at Nantes on Tuesday would see them beat AC Milan's record of 38 away games without defeat.
"We are very motivated because we can set a record of the European team in the big five leagues with the longest unbeaten run away from home," Luis Enrique told reporters.
"We are really motivated because we do want our unbeaten title.
"As for the situation in the table, Nantes are fully motivated as well, so we know how difficult it is."
The manager has been able to rotate his starting team, making nine changes for Saturday's 2-1 win over Le Havre from their Champions League game against Aston Villa last week, which is key to getting the best out of the whole squad.
"Without doubt, that is the challenge that we face at the moment and that is the challenge for coaches," the manager said.
"Because it can be hard to motivate everyone, particularly the ones who are less involved, but I feel very lucky because my players are responding in the best possible way and turning in top level performances.
"I would like them all to get more playing time but it is difficult to do that because to do that I have to stop high-level players from playing."
As well as getting as many players involved as possible, allowing them to rest has also been a priority for the treble-chasing club.
"You need to manage the physical and emotional workload," Luis Enrique said.
"That goes for teams that are very exposed and play every three days, so it can be hard to have days off and when you give a player a day off it is crucial.
"I think we are one of the teams with the longest Christmas break. We had 10 days and we gave the players two weeks off where we could, and they were able to make the most of it."
PSG have five league matches left, and take on a Nantes side still involved in a survival battle, 14th in the standings and three points above the relegation zone.
