“The coach trusted me, and I am grateful to him. I want to try to gain more playing time, and work every day. » Coming out of his first start of the season this Saturday evening against Strasbourg (4-2), with a first goal in Ligue 1, Senny Mayulu knows to whom he owed his smile. This season, and it was predictable, the young Parisian titi will undoubtedly see Luis Enrique regularly call on him and this Saturday evening, he responded with the best possible arguments.
At the kick-off of a complicated match to manage, upon returning from a costly international break for the organizations and before an intense week with two matches against PSV and Marseille, the Parisian starting lineup averaged 22.9 years of age. With five players aged 20 or under on the pitch (Beraldo, Neves, Mayulu, Doué, Zaire-Emery) and two others on the bench (Zague, Mbaye).
Luis Enrique, an invested coach who listens to young people
“We were facing a very young Ligue 1 team,” Luis Enrique admitted at a press conference. We like this philosophy where we have young people who can develop. There must be matches with tension and for young people to have this growth, I believe they must feel that we have confidence in them and play these types of matches. I think that’s what we’ve shown since last season. »
Choices which paid off, with in particular, but not only, Senny Mayulu scoring for the first time in Ligue 1 and very convincing in a great Parisian victory. “Mayulu was incredible,” Luis Enrique said at DAZN. Last year he could have left, but I spoke to him and he stayed. I told him I like the way he plays, now he’s here. He’s a very good player, he could have scored three goals. »
The overall observation is recurring this season: Paris is the second youngest team on average in the French Championship when we report the average age and minutes played, with 24.1 years, just behind… its evening opponent, Strasbourg (22.2 years). PSG is also the only team in the 5 major European championships to have 2 scorers born in 2006 or after this season: Warren Zaire-Emery and Senny Mayulu.
Generally speaking, Luis Enrique is a coach renowned for being a good promoter of young talent and he has been very interested since his arrival at PSG in what is happening on the floor below. Last season, he attended, with members of his staff, several matches of Zoumana Camara’s U19s with whom the exchange of information was permanent.
“He took information about the players and how things were going for them in sessions,” the former boss of the under-19s told us recently. He always listened and we always had the players when we needed them for certain matches or for the Youth League. He also came to watch matches and that’s important. He finds it normal and congratulated us on our work but for our young players, his presence is an additional stimulation. »
“By pushing them, we push ourselves”
If some have logically established themselves as indisputable starters – Warren Zaire-Emery and Joao Neves are respectively the second and third player most used by Luis Enrique this season, with 779 and 735 minutes of play – players like Beraldo (534 minutes of game) and Doué (326 minutes) benefit from this policy. But also, at the back of the pack, the youngest and most inexperienced: Mayulu played more against Strasbourg (62 minutes) than since the start of the season and Mbaye (8 minutes Saturday excluding added time, 83 in total) has already taken part in five meetings.
“The coach gives them a lot of confidence, whether in training or through the entries they make,” greeted Bradley Barcola in the mixed zone after the match. I think it’s good. I’ve been there too and that’s what the coach does very well. Even in training, he encourages them to repeat efforts and do what they know how to do. »
Even if he is not an “old hand” himself (he is only 22 years old and has just over a season at the highest level under his belt), the top scorer in Ligue 1 can already be found in the position of having this role of model in this very young workforce: “It’s a good role,” he assures. By pushing them, we also push ourselves because we know that they are behind us. »