Skip to main content

Faith in Luis Enrique leads PSG to back-to-back Champions League titles

Image

 


Paris St Germain’s back-to-back Champions League triumphs have been built on talent, depth and tactical sophistication, but those inside the club point first to something less tangible when explaining their rise to the summit of Europe - belief.

Luis Enrique arrived ‌in Paris in 2023 promising a cultural shift rather than instant glamour, with the Spaniard wanting a team in which collective sacrifice outweighed individual status, where the biggest names defended, pressed and suffered together.

Two Champions League titles later, his players speak about him less as a coach than as an architect and people leader.

“It’s not easy to do it back-to-back, but we did,” defender Achraf Hakimi said after PSG beat Arsenal 4-3 on penalties in Saturday’s final following a 1-1 draw after extra time.

“The coach is the big voice of the club. We follow him, we trust him. Since day one he told us the team is more important than the player. ⁠We have created not just a team but a family.”

That idea has become the defining principle of PSG’s modern era.

For years, the French club assembled collections of stars rather than genuine teams, their Champions League failures often framed as psychological collapses under pressure.

Luis Enrique instead built a side around intensity, resilience and blind trust in a collective framework. PSG still dazzled going forward, but the spectacle became secondary to structure and commitment.

LEGENDARY MANAGERS

The Spaniard has insisted he has little interest in legacy or personal acclaim, brushing aside suggestions that he now belongs among the game’s legendary managers.

“Legend? I’m not interested in that,” he said.

Yet PSG’s players increasingly describe him as the driving force behind a side that now appears capable of extending its dominance.

Vitinha said the squad had endured a draining campaign marked by injuries, physical fatigue and relentless demands after a shortened pre-season, but credited Luis Enrique with keeping the group united through difficult moments.

“There were a lot of ups and downs,” the Portugal midfielder said. “We knew when the season started after little rest and little preparation that there ‌would be ⁠physical problems and injuries, but we were bracing for it," he added.

Vitinha echoed forward Ousmane Dembele's praise for the PSG staff for managing the squad perfectly in a season that started after only a short break following the Club World Cup final, which they lost to Chelsea.

"We played several games without key players but even then we managed to improve and win. What the team have been doing, but also those who’ve had fewer minutes, they deserve a lot," Vitinha added.

ZAIRE-EMERY GETS SPECIAL PRAISE

Luis Enrique has consistently empowered squad players throughout his tenure, refusing to build hierarchies around reputation ⁠alone.

After the final, he singled out Warren Zaire-Emery despite the midfielder only appearing in extra time, after the 20-year-old dazzled in midfield and defence at times during the season to cover for the injured Hakimi and Fabian Ruiz.

“We were very unfair to Warren as coaches,” Luis Enrique said. “He deserved to play the final. But in the minutes he played he showed he was someone special,” he added ⁠of the youngest player to win two Champions League finals.

That faith in the collective has also allowed PSG to navigate transitions that once threatened to destabilise the club and the departures of superstar forwards in recent years no longer feel existential.

Instead, PSG now operate with unusual clarity.

“We know the path we want to follow,” Luis Enrique said when asked about transfers. “We ⁠are working for the future but we are not in a hurry.”

Even the celebrations inside the PSG camp already carried hints of what comes next.

“We have a coach who will push us to go for the third (Champions League),” captain Marquinhos said.

Vitinha echoed the sentiment, light-heartedly describing Luis Enrique as “the culprit” behind the squad’s endless hunger for more trophies.

“This desire to win more, never to stop, Luis Enrique is the culprit,” he said with a smile.

By Julien Pretot - Reuters

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

MOST VIEWED

McCullum worried about Stokes after nightclub incident

  England head coach Brendon McCullum said he was angry but also concerned about Ben Stokes after the nightclub incident involving his captain and fast bowler Gus Atkinson that led to their omission from the second test against New Zealand at The Oval. Stokes and ‌Atkinson breached the team’s midnight curfew and were reportedly present when an England security staff member was involved in an incident with a Saracens rugby player. “You go from being bewildered, to angry, to gutted,” McCullum told reporters on Monday. “Quickly through talking to Ben and Gus, my emotion turned to worry and concern - for Ben in particular," McCullum added. The episode is the latest off-field ⁠issue for England after vice-captain Harry Brook was punched by a bouncer outside a nightclub in Wellington in October, while videos during the Ashes showed players drinking during a Noosa break. Although managing director Rob Key played down talk of a “drinking culture” in March, the ECB introduced a strict midn...
Post a Comment
Read more

Stokes weighing England captaincy future after nightclub incident - reports

  England captain Ben Stokes is considering his leadership future following his involvement in a nightclub incident that has prompted ‌an investigation by the country's cricket board (ECB), according to media reports on Tuesday. On Monday, the ECB said Stokes and fast bowler Gus Atkinson were under investigation. The incident - the details of ⁠which have not been disclosed - occurred in the early hours of Monday after England’s victory over New Zealand in the first test at Lord’s. On Tuesday, ESPNcricinfo reported Stokes would meet with his advisors on Wednesday to decide on his future. Stokes was previously involved in a 2017 incident outside ‌a ⁠Bristol nightclub that led to an affray charge. He missed the 2017-18 Ashes tour before being cleared the following summer. After England's squad faced scrutiny earlier this ⁠year for their behaviour during a 4-1 Ashes series defeat, ECB chief executive Richard Gould said in January ⁠that players would be subject to stricter measures,...
Post a Comment
Read more

Manchester City thrash Brighton to win women's FA Cup

  Manchester City hammered Brighton & Hove Albion to win the Women's FA Cup final at Wembley on Sunday, securing the ‌trophy for the first time since 2020 and completing a domestic double in the process. After bulldozing their way to the Women's Super League title on the back of Bunny ⁠Shaw's 21 goals, the Jamaican international was instrumental again and, after rumours that she might depart, she celebrated signing a new contract with City by opening the scoring in the 38th minute. Brighton, who beat City in the league run-in but could not prevent them from being ‌crowned ⁠champions, started well in their first trip to the final but the wheels came off when Alex Greenwood added a second goal deep into first-half ⁠stoppage time to send City in 2-0 up at the break. Aoba Fujino netted the third in the 66th ⁠minute, ghosting past two Brighton defenders and firing home with her left foot, and ⁠Dutch striker Vivianne Miedema headed the fourth three minutes before full time to...
Post a Comment
Read more

How Team Nigeria blazed the trail in Gaborone

...Secured three spots, highest by any African country for Beijing 2027   By Maxwell Kumoye who was in Gaborone        The global sprint spotlight shone brightly on Gaborone as the World Relays delivered a thrilling showcase of speed, precision, and national pride.  By the time the baton had made its final exchanges, 72 teams had stamped their authority and secured qualifications for the World Athletics Championships Beijing 2027. Among the standout performers was Team Nigeria, whose relay squads rose to the occasion with composure and confidence, clinching three coveted qualification spots.  It was a performance that blended youth and experience with hunger. Near perfect baton changes, explosive acceleration phases, and a clear sense of purpose from start to finish. Against all odds and a fiercely competitive field featuring the world’s best relay nations, Nigeria’s achievement did not come easy. Each race demanded near-perfection, and the...
Post a Comment
Read more