Luis Enrique backs Neymar and looks ahead to Villarreal clash
After Atletico Madrid players and staff spent the week criticising Neymar, Luis Enrique has come out in defence of his Brazilian star.
He said that "this is a curious country" where a nutmeg offends people more than "four or five tackles".
The Barça boss also added that he felt his players "behaved exquisitely" at the Vicente Calderon in a game which he described as having an "important physical component" to it. "My players didn't lose it, they kept their cool," he said.
Away from the controversy of the midweek Copa de Rey game, Enrique was also keen to praise his players.
"Neymar is at the best club to mark an era," he continued. "But Lionel Messi, for all he has done and all is he is doing, is without doubt the number one."
Lucho wouldn't comment on Jeremy Mathieu's recent confirmation that the Barça boss had fallen out with Messi earlier this month, saying: "I won't get involved with these trivial matters."
He was speaking to the press ahead of Sunday's match against Villarreal at Camp Nou, who happen to be the Blaugrana's opponents in the last four of the Copa as well, although Luis Enrique doesn't feel that's significant.
Instead, he's more worried about the Yellow Submarine's good form.
"They're on a great run and we can all appreciate the work Marcelino is doing," he said.
"It will be difficult because they can keep the ball and they're good defensively, but my players are fresh and we want to break their unbeaten run."
