WHAT HAPPENED
Inter Miami forward Luis Suarez reflected on the significant influence of PSG manager Luis Enrique ahead of their Club World Cup Round of 16 clash. Suarez identified both Enrique and former Uruguay national team coach Oscar Washington Tabarez as the two most influential mentors in his decorated career.
“Luis Enrique and Maestro [Oscar Washington] Tabarez with the Uruguayan national team have been the two most significant coaches in my career in terms of what they taught me and what I learned when working with them,” Suarez told FIFA.com, after the 2-2 stalemate against Palmeiras.
The Uruguayan striker specifically highlighted how his former Barcelona coach shaped his playing style during their time together at the Catalan club. He emphasised how Enrique intensified his natural competitive instincts.
“He had a massive influence on me,” Suarez added about Luis Enrique. “I already had a competitive streak about me, but he managed to intensify it. He taught me to operate in certain areas of the pitch in which I was asked to perform a role I wasn’t used to, given that I didn’t see much of the ball and had to initiate the press. On a personal level, I have tremendous respect and admiration for what he gets out of his players.”
WHAT LUIS SUAREZ SAID
The Herons will face PSG and Enrique in the Round of 16 of the Club World Cup after they finished second in their group, the only MLS team to qualify for the knockout stages. Suarez touched upon just how tough it will be to face the reigning Champions League winners, but believes in Inter Miami and the “weapons” they have.
“We’re well aware of just how tough it’ll be against the [UEFA] Champions League winners,” Suarez explained. “It’ll be a real challenge against a side who are possibly favorites to win the whole thing, given the caliber of players they have, but we’ve got our own weapons. We’ll be looking to address the mistakes we made, which could prove to be very costly against a side like PSG. We’ll need to try to make the most of any chances that come our way."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Ten years after their successful collaboration at Barcelona, Suarez and Enrique will be on opposite sides in a contest that showcases MLS's growing global ambitions against established European powerhouses. Now reunited with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami, Suarez faces the challenge of competing against elite European competition. The matchup represents a measuring stick for how Miami's star-studded project compares to top international clubs.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The Herons and Luis Suarez will face Luis Enrique and PSG on June 28 in the Round of 16 of the Club World Cup at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.