Filipe Luis hails Luis Enrique as one of football’s greatest managers after Monaco victory

Filipe Luis praised Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique as “one of the best in history” despite leading Monaco to a 2-1 victory over the French champions in Ligue 1.

The result sent Monaco to the top of the Ligue 1 table with nine points from their opening three matches, while Paris Saint-Germain’s difficult start continued. Luis Enrique’s side have collected only two points from their first three league games.

Speaking after the match, Monaco head coach Filipe Luis paid tribute to his opposite number and said he had been honoured to defeat him.

“Talking to Luis Enrique after the match? For me, he is not only the best coach in the world, but one of the best in history,” Filipe Luis said at his news conference.

“I really admire the way he deals with his players and the way he coaches his teams. It is a pleasure to play against him, so beating him is a great honour for me.”

Filipe Luis also explained how Monaco had approached the match against the reigning French champions, saying his players had attempted to disrupt Paris Saint-Germain high up the pitch from the opening stages.

“We tried to press them strongly in their forward areas from the beginning of the match,” he said.

“They managed to get through the press because of their quality, but we continued to work. Paris Saint-Germain are not at their best.”

Monaco made adjustments after the interval and were rewarded for their persistence. Filipe Luis said his players improved their use of possession, created opportunities and showed the character required to turn the game around.

“In the second half, we corrected some mistakes in possession of the ball, and the players understood that,” he added.

“We created some chances, managed to score and changed the course of the match. After that, we had to show courage, run, defend and do those things. We did.”

The Monaco manager described the opening three games of his side’s campaign as an excellent start, but insisted he would not allow the early league position to distract from the need to focus on the next fixture.

“It is an excellent start for us, but I remain calm because we have to concentrate on each match one at a time,” said Filipe Luis.

“I am extremely happy with the performance of my players and their high morale against the best team in the world. Not only tactically, but also in terms of their attitude.”

He added that his responsibilities remained the same regardless of the result.

“As a coach, I can only focus on each match one at a time,” Filipe Luis said. “My job, no matter what the result is, is to bring out the best in my players.”

The match marked another step in Filipe Luis’ first coaching experience in Europe. He took charge of Monaco after a successful spell with Brazilian club Flamengo, during which he won several trophies as a player.

Monaco will attempt to maintain their perfect start when they face Strasbourg in the fourth round of Ligue 1 on Saturday.