Paris Saint-Germain head coach Luis Enrique said the Parisians are hungry to add the Club World Cup title after a successful run in the Champions League. PSG defeated Inter Milan by 5-0 in the final of Europe’s most elite football tournament earlier in June.
Enrique’s men were once again ruthless against Atletico Madrid in the Club World Cup as they registered a thumping 4-0 win in their Group B opener.
Fabián Ruiz and Vitinha scored to put PSG 2-0 up in the first half at the Rose Bowl, Pasadena, and substitutes Senny Mayulu and Lee Kang-In — with a penalty – also found the back of the net for Ligue 1 champions.
“We had the objective of making history this season, but this [the Club World Cup] is a new chapter,” Luis Enrique said in his post-match news conference. “It’s a nice challenge for the players and the team, to want to keep winning.
“The club is hungry, the fans are hungry, the players and the team are hungry, and that’s a good feeling. I don’t know [if we’re favourites], it doesn’t bother me, but we have the same objective as in other competitions, which is to go as far as possible and try to win it.”
Atlético coach Diego Simeone denied blaming the midday heat for his players’ performance and gave credit to the opposition for being better.
“When the season starts in August [in Madrid], it’s the same heat,” he said in his post-match news conference. “I won’t blame the heat. It’s the same for both teams.
“They’re a great team, a young team. They’ve always had good players, and now they’re a team.”
Simeone admitted they were not at their best in the first half but improved in the second half against the Parisians.
“In the first half we didn’t play as we should have,” Simeone said. “They played very well. Even when we won the ball, we couldn’t get away from their press.
“In the second half, we were better. We made it 2-1 [through Alvarez] and the referee decided not to count it.
“The team competed, despite the tough defeat, and a 4-0 scoreline. We’re obliged to get good results in the other games now.”
Atlético will next play Seattle Sounders in Seattle on June 19, whereas PSG will take on Brazil’s Botafogo, again at the Rose Bowl.
