 |
Mbappe left PSG for Real Madrid. That was a turning point for PSG. |
In the modern football world , where clubs compete to recruit expensive superstars and turn the pitch into a personal stage, PSG used to be the clearest symbol of the "buy to win" school. But after more than a decade of spending lavishly, they still could not reach the top of Europe.
PSG once had Lionel Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe - three of the brightest stars in world football - and failed to win a Champions League title. Until coach Luis Enrique came in, and wiped it all out.
“I don't need a star. I need a machine.”
Enrique arrived at PSG in the summer of 2023, bringing with him not only a glittering resume (winning the Champions League with Barcelona in 2015) but also a modern, pragmatic and cold football philosophy: the collective is the center, no one is allowed to stand outside the system.
From the very beginning, he clashed with Mbappe - the last big star left after Messi and Neymar left. In a closed meeting, Enrique told Mbappe in blunt and warning words: "You think your job is just to score goals? For me, that's not enough."
He asked Mbappe to press, to move off the ball, to support his teammates, to join the defensive system - things that the French star had never been forced to do for many years. That was the first shock. And it was also the moment that revealed the upcoming tactical "coup".
 |
Mbappe's Real Madrid is empty-handed in all competitions this season. |
Mbappe, of course, is still an outstanding talent. But with Enrique, if even one link fails to comply, the machine will not function. The team cannot press with 10 men. And so, Mbappe's departure - once considered an "irreplaceable loss" - became the biggest turning point in PSG's history.
PSG have been a symbol of stardom in the past. They have spent money to sign the most expensive players in the world, from Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Angel Di Maria, from Neymar to Messi. But what they have not bought is unity.
Consecutive Champions League seasons have seen PSG fail at crucial moments, often because those same stars refuse to press, fail to integrate into the team, or simply... don't want to sacrifice for the system.
That is why Enrique frankly declared: "I will never accept to lead PSG if they continue to pursue the policy of recruiting superstars."
Under Enrique, PSG did not spend money to make a splash, but to build a solid foundation. The $800 million was invested not in the “new Messi” or “next Ronaldo”, but in Joao Neves, Desiré Doue - young players, full of desire and not yet swallowed by ego.
And from here, PSG began to become a real football team.
Modern football is 11 men running together.
Enrique has built PSG not just on tactics, but on the core principle of modern football: every player must work. From strikers to full-backs, from goalkeepers to centre-backs, everyone must be ready to move, press, read situations and coordinate.
No more Messi walking around in defence. No more the whole system having to "protect" one star. PSG now press in unison, play with high intensity, attack quickly and defend in blocks.
 |
PSG won the Champions League with a team without stars. |
The Champions League Round of 16 was a clear example: they exhausted Liverpool with their fierce, fast, and overwhelming play. Coach Arne Slot had to admit: "They pressed continuously, not giving us a chance to breathe."
Then came Aston Villa, then Arsenal - quality Premier League opponents who could not withstand PSG's intensity and organization. Not because PSG had outstanding superstars, but because they were a team with no tactical weaknesses.
PSG's victory over Inter Milan was more than just a victory in terms of score. It was a display of tactical prowess, spirit and maturity.
From the first touch, PSG did not play from home. They brought the ball into Inter's half, started pressing, and did not give their opponents any chance to build up the game.
In the 11th minute, center-back Marquinhos was tracking an opponent deep in Inter's half. The midfielders immediately closed in. Inter lost the ball. Eight passes later, the ball was in the net.
The match ended after just 20 minutes. The remaining minutes were a stage for PSG to showcase their pressing, off-the-ball movement and tactical ingenuity.
No Messi. No Neymar. No Mbappe. But PSG did what those stars couldn't: win the Champions League for the first time in history.
Enrique didn't just help PSG win titles. He freed them from the burden of the past, from the shadow of stardom, and from the limitations they had placed on themselves.
No more dependence on individuals. No more moments of “just give the ball to the superstar and wait for a miracle”. Enrique’s PSG is proof that: In modern football, no one is bigger than the system. No one has the right to stand outside the collective.
Luis Enrique is not just the architect of a successful season. He is the man who laid the foundations for a completely new PSG - a team no longer obsessed with name, but only interested in efficiency, organization and a true desire to conquer.
The 2024/25 treble will go down in PSG history as a great milestone. But more important than the title, is how they won it. With modern football. With a team. And with a fighting spirit.
Without Messi, Neymar, Mbappe – PSG still won the championship. And that's why this victory is doubly meaningful.
This is not just success. This is maturity.
Source: https://znews.vn/psg-dap-tan-sieu-doi-hinh-dung-len-de-che-vo-dich-post1557674.html
Comment (0)