Luis Enrique Martinez, coach of Paris Saint-Germain, came to the defense of Brahim Diaz this Monday after the penalty missed by the Real Madrid player in the Africa Cup of Nations final, a match in which Senegal beat Morocco and left the hosts without the title. In a press conference, the Spanish coach harshly criticized the treatment the striker received and asserted that "he is not a murderer nor a bad person," alluding to the criticism that has surrounded the player since that night.

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Brahim's case became the central topic of sports debate in Morocco after he missed the decisive penalty, taken 'Panenka-style' in stoppage time, before the match went to extra time. While some fans support him, others point to him as primarily responsible for the outcome. In this context, Luis Enrique decided to speak out before the Champions League match against Sporting Lisbon.

Historical references and values ?beyond the result

The PSG coach called for perspective and reminded everyone that even the greatest have failed in crucial moments. “I remember Zidane, the god of football, what he did in the World Cup final, or Sergio Ramos,” he said, referring to incidents that did not diminish the greatness of those figures. For Luis Enrique, reducing a career to a single mistake is an unfair and dangerous perspective, especially for young footballers. The coach went beyond the sporting analysis and stressed that the most important thing is not the penalty, but the values ??“you can transmit to young people.” In his reflection, he insisted that when a penalty is converted, “everyone applauds and no one says anything,” but when it is missed, “there are many negative opinions about a player,” a dynamic that, in his view, should be reviewed. Luis Enrique has known Brahim since his time as the Spanish national team coach, when he called him up for a friendly match prior to Euro 2021, before the striker opted to represent Morocco. Although he never managed him in an official match,He stated that “he is an exceptional player and a very good person,"making it clear that his defense is not only professional but also human. For his part, Brahim Diaz did not hide his pain after the defeat. Before rejoining Real Madrid, he posted an emotional message on his social media: "My soul aches. I dreamed of this title thanks to all the love you have given me, to every message, to every show of support that made me feel I wasn't alone. “I fought with everything I had, with my heart above all else.” The striker took responsibility for the mistake and publicly apologized. “Yesterday I made a mistake and I take full responsibility and apologize from the bottom of my heart. It will be hard to recover, because this wound doesn't heal easily, but I will try. Not for myself, but for everyone who believed in me and for everyone who suffered with me,” he continued.