Luis Enrique faces potential coaching ban after neck-grabbing incident in CWC final
Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique could face a wide-ranging coaching ban after being caught on camera grabbing Chelsea forward Joao Pedro by the neck during a heated altercation at the end of the FIFA Club World Cup final in New Jersey.
Chelsea defeated PSG 3-0 in a commanding performance that saw tempers flare late in the match. With under 10 minutes left, PSG midfielder Joao Neves was shown a red card for pulling Marc Cucurella’s hair.
The situation escalated after the final whistle when players and staff from both sides became embroiled in a post-match melee.
Video footage shows Luis Enrique placing his hand on Joao Pedro’s neck before the Brazilian forward fell to the ground.
Speaking to Spanish radio outlet Cadena Cope, Enrique downplayed the incident:
“I’m stupid. He’s standing there, he pushes me, I touch him, and he throws himself down… My goal and intention, as always, was to try to separate the players so there wouldn’t be any more problems.”
He reiterated during his press conference that he was trying to de-escalate the conflict:
“There was a lot of tension. My intention was to stop anything from escalating, but things got out of hand. These are situations we must all learn to avoid.”
Joao Pedro also attempted to diffuse the controversy, but took a swipe at PSG:
“I went to protect Andrey Santos. A lot of people came charging in and I ended up getting pushed. They don’t know how to lose. But it’s part of the game. Now it’s time to celebrate.”
Despite the players’ attempt to move past the incident, FIFA may not.
According to Cadena SER, the world governing body is reviewing footage and could hand down a time-based suspension, potentially sidelining Enrique from all coaching duties, not just international competitions.
