Paris Saint-Germain manager, Luis Enrique, has praised Yaya Touré’s footballing pedigree ahead of his first Champions League meeting with the Ivorian coach.
PSG will host Slovan Bratislava at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday in their opening Champions League fixture, with Touré leading the Slovakian side.
Enrique revealed that he has known Touré since the former Manchester City and Barcelona midfielder was a player in Spain.
“When he was a player at Barcelona, I was coaching the youth teams and then the reserve side. He was a top-class player. And he has gained experience as an assistant coach.”
The Spanish tactician also reflected on Touré’s early work as Slovan manager, noting that the team appears to have adopted a possession-based approach.
“Slovan is his first experience. I saw a team that likes to have possession of the ball. He is drawing on his experience from Barcelona and Manchester City.”
Enrique, however, admitted that it remained to be seen whether Touré would maintain his attacking philosophy against PSG or opt for a more defensive approach.
“We will see tomorrow whether he will show the same attacking tendency or lean more towards defence?”
The PSG boss stressed the importance of managing the game properly, particularly with Slovan playing away from home.
“You have to know how to manage things. Away matches are always difficult. When you play at home, there are things that can help you. But every match is complicated. You have to press as much as possible.”
PSG head into the encounter as the defending European champions, having won the previous two editions of the Champions League under Enrique.
For Touré, the fixture represents a major test at the beginning of his managerial career, as he takes Slovan Bratislava to Paris hoping to cause an upset against the reigning champions.
