Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (foto: Getty Images)
Luis Enrique explained why Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is different from most players and revealed the scouting advice that convinced PSG to move for him.
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Khvicha Kvaratskhelia did not only win matches for Paris Saint-Germain this season.
He changed how opponents played.
That, according to Luis Enrique, is exactly what makes him special.
The PSG coach offered a fascinating explanation of why the Georgian winger stands apart from most attacking players and revealed the scouting advice that completely changed how he watched him.
Kvaratskhelia played a huge role in PSG's successful Champions League campaign.
His numbers were outstanding.
Kvaratskhelia in the Champions League this season:
• 16 appearances
• 10 goals
• 7 assists
• Key influence in the final against Arsenal
He again delivered when pressure was highest.
In the final against Arsenal, he repeatedly created problems and won the penalty that allowed Ousmane Dembele to cancel out Arsenal's early lead.
Still, Luis Enrique believes statistics do not tell the full story.
"When I first heard about him, I honestly knew very little about him."
"Georgia is not a country that regularly produces players who attract attention from the biggest clubs."
Then came the advice from a scout.
"A scout told me: 'Don't look at the ball. Look at the defenders when he receives it.'"
At first, Enrique thought the advice sounded strange.
Then he understood.
"Whenever Kvaratskhelia touched the ball, two or three defenders immediately rushed at him."
"After twenty minutes, I stopped following his dribbling and started observing the reactions he caused around him."
That changed everything.
"The best players don't just play the game. They change the behavior of everyone else on the pitch."
The Spanish coach said that was the moment PSG realized they were looking at something unusual.
"If defenders are already so worried about him, imagine what he can become in three or four years."
Before arriving in Paris, Kvaratskhelia had already become a star at Napoli, helping deliver the club's first Serie A title in more than three decades alongside Victor Osimhen.
Now, he has reached another level.
Not because of what he does with the ball.
Because of what happens around him when he receives it.