Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique had Real Madrid standout Kylian Mbappé for one season, and a recent video of him coaching the Frenchman went viral.
Last season in the UEFA Champions League, Enrique had a video coaching session with the 25-year-old while analyzing the match against FC Barcelona. During their discussion, the Spanish coach even referenced a famous NBA legend to emphasize the importance of Mbappé contributing defensively.
“I heard you admire Michael Jordan,” Enrique said. “Michael Jordan was known for holding his teammates accountable and defending like a beast. You need to take that approach. Not just as a player, but as a leader on the field.”
At his press conference, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti was asked how he’s coached Mbappé regarding his defensive responsibilities. Nonetheless, the Italian has a different approach to coaching the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner.
“Luis Enrique asked Mbappé to press. What do I ask of him? To score goals,” Ancelotti told reporters (h/t Le10Sport). “I prefer that he scores goals rather than presses. I ask the same thing of Mbappé as I did of Benzema: to position himself well, be smart, and transition quickly when we recover the ball.”
It will be interesting to see if the winger will committ to playing defense now that he’s at Real Madrid and with France’s national team. As for PSG, Enrique will undoubtedly preach that even though a player is an attacker, they must contribute on the defensive side in those big-time matches.
