Exactly 10 years after lifting the Champions League trophy with Barcelona in Berlin, Luis Enrique is celebrating his victory at the top of Europe with PSG. Coincidentally and interestingly, the team he leads this time also won the title in Germany (in Munich) after defeating Inter Milan, Juventus's former Italian compatriots.
Difficulty in finding identity
PSG's victory at the Allianz Arena left a strong mark on Luis Enrique, the Spanish strategist aiming to build a solid, fundamental foundation for the team, which he said was the factor that brought immediate stability and long-term success.
Accepting the offer to lead PSG in the summer of 2023, when "Le Parisiens" tiredly said goodbye to superstar duo Lionel Messi and Neymar after a long period of hope and... disappointment, Luis Enrique was doubted about his ability to adapt to a team that is used to living on inspiration and relying on stars.
The Spanish coach has been criticized for his rigid possession-based style of play, lack of space for creative players in the 2023-2024 season, or clashing with the "star first" mindset that has been an unofficial culture at PSG for many years.
The conflicts in the dressing room, such as punishing Ousmane Dembele for disciplinary violations, or having to make concessions to Kylian Mbappe even though he did not renew his contract, made things more complicated, leading to the team performing sluggishly in the Champions League despite being unbeatable on the domestic front.
By reining in the "wild horse" Dembele and Mbappe's proactive departure, Luis Enrique helped PSG get rid of its fragile golden past and strongly restructure the squad. He transformed PSG from a team of stars into a team of stars, gradually shaping its identity and spirit on the field with the confidence of a well-built, cohesive team.
In the 2024-2025 season, PSG focuses on a strategy of building a football philosophy towards a young, versatile, multi-tasking and disciplined squad. Luis Enrique declared that "no one is invulnerable", only those who fit the team's style of play can hope to survive.
PSG's historic achievement bears the mark of strategist Luis Enrique (right). Photo: PSGFC
scary group
PSG are now a united, even and fearsome team. All three lines of the team have leaders who have reached European standards, surrounded by talent: Donnarumma has a strong revival in goal, Marquinhos is absolutely supported by Willian Pacho, Nuno Mendes, Achraf Hakimi in defense.
Vitinha emerged as a playmaker in the midfield alongside Fabian Ruiz and Joao Neves; while the attack is a competition between young stars Desire Doue, Bradley Barcola, Lee Kang-in, Zaire-Emery, and Senny Mayulu for a starting position alongside Dembele and Kvaratskhelia...
Having witnessed PSG "destroy" Man City, suffocate Liverpool or Brest, and then successively defeat Aston Villa and Arsenal, one can see that the victory of Luis Enrique's team in the final against Inter Milan was not simple. With a rain of 5 goals that shocked all of Europe, PSG clearly had an impressive performance. The dominance from the midfield, the ability to press high, the coherent attacks and the cold, effective finishing - all showed the image of a powerful PSG instead of a "barefoot giant" who is only good at playing at home.
After just under 2 years, Enrique's revolution has brought great success when PSG won the Champions League title for the first time and ended the 2024-2025 season with a great "quadruple" achievement. That is the result of the persistent and correct reconstruction that Mr. Enrique initiated and implemented throughout, something that the French capital team had never done before, despite having a star-studded squad.
PSG beat Inter Milan 5-0 on a glorious Munich night to win their 55th title on the club's 55th anniversary. This is also the most brilliant achievement among the 37 titles the team has won since being taken over by Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) in 2011.
Desire Doue started his first major final and was named Man of the Match with a brace and an assist; and another 19-year-old, Senny Mayulu, who scored the winner, could be considered the "sweet fruit" of Enrique's hard work. He had the second youngest European Championship winning squad in history, with an average age of just 24 years and 3 months, meaning the future was bright.
PSG are expected to show the form of new European champions as they prepare to travel to the US to participate in the FIFA Club World Cup.
PSG and the new Conference League champions Chelsea have won the European arena with the motto of prioritizing investment in youth, although it is still expensive. However, this trend and the success of Barcelona in Spain show that fundamental development, prioritizing the use of internal and youthful resources is the long-term direction of modern football clubs, especially in the context of strict regulations on sustainable finance.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/giai-ma-hanh-trinh-chinh-phuc-chau-au-cua-psg-196250601203606591.htm
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