HIBAPRESS – Agencies
Spanish manager Luis Enrique revealed that his Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper, Russian Matvey Safonov, likely saved two penalty kicks while suffering from a broken hand, giving the Parisian club the victory in the Club World Cup.
Safonov saved four penalty kicks in the match held in Qatar on Wednesday, leading Saint-Germain to victory over Brazilian Flamengo and adding a new title to their collection. Enrique said, "The player himself doesn't know how it happened. We believe the injury occurred during the third penalty kick, where he made a strange move that led to the fracture. He saved the last two penalties while injured. The power of adrenaline was so immense that he was able to do it without pain. It's unbelievable." The club issued a statement saying, "Further updates will be issued within three to four weeks." Enrique, who has faced a series of injuries this season, added that he hadn't spoken to Safonov yet, "It's +karma+. Life is telling him that he needs to rest, recover and accept the situation. With his mentality, he will return stronger." The coach spoke on the eve of facing a fifth-tier team from Fontenay in the French Cup. Enrique may continue his habit of involving substitutes in local cup matches, deploying the third goalkeeper, Italian-Brazilian Renato Marin, but he may also take the opportunity to give Luca Chevalier his first match since recovering from an ankle injury. Safonov's achievements have sparked a growing debate about who should be the first-choice goalkeeper for the European champions. The 26-year-old Russian goalkeeper started the season as the second choice, but his brilliance in Qatar came after several strong performances while replacing the injured Chevalier, who had a shaky start to the season. Chevalier, who turned twenty-four in November, joined the team last summer because coach Enrique was impressed by his skills in playing with his feet, but he sometimes appeared less reliable in saving shots.
