From complacent to hero
“I never thought I would come to French football” . Honest and straightforward, that is how Luis Enrique made his PSG debut in July 2023.
That statement caused Luis Enrique to receive a lot of criticism. Some people said he was complacent.
If anyone grimaced at Luis Enrique's first words, today, amid the festivities across Paris, with 110,000 people attending, they must be wondering why PSG didn't call him sooner.
No team has spent more than PSG since Al-Khelaifi became president, more than €2.28 billion. Many stars have been brought in, with many different coaches, but European ambitions have all failed.
With his style, discipline and emphasis on the collective, Luis Enrique built a PSG that was very different from before. Kylian Mbappe, or his favorite player Marco Asensio, were both opened to leave because they wanted their own privileges.
“From the first day, the goal was to make history,” Luis Enrique stressed before arriving in Munich. He succeeded . Not just the Champions League, but a historic treble.
A decade after his 2014/15 triumph with Barcelona, Luis Enrique has another treble. He equals the record of Pep Guardiola - who achieved this feat twice with Barca (2008/09) and Man City (2022/23).
“We had to manage the different personalities of the players, we had to build step by step. We have high-quality, classy players, but the important thing is that they have team spirit,” Enrique said of his demands.
In the early days, Enrique locked himself away at the Poissy training centre without knowing a word of French. Now PSG reflects exactly what he was looking for.
He tailored a financially strong environment to suit his philosophy, from simple things like a crane that gave him an overhead view of training, to the recruitment of players who were not superstars but had potential.
Luis Enrique doesn’t just want to win, he wants to sow seeds. “I want the way the team plays to attract not only PSG fans, but also football lovers in general.”
Ambition to make more money than Real Madrid
President Al-Khelaifi as well as PSG's financial department are happy when the Champions League dream comes true.
PSG made history in the most valuable way: achieving success thanks to a beautiful style of play that turned Paris – with all the symbols of a magical city – into a new reference point for emotional football; the biggest victory in a final.
More than just a win, the title captures the attention of a global audience, with a product that delivers eye-catching attacking gameplay.
That translates into sponsorship deals, skyrocketing image rights and assets.
According to the assessment of major consulting firms such as Deloitte or KPMG, PSG eliminated the most competitive opponents (Arsenal, Liverpool and Aston Villa) from the tournament, and this is the highlight.
After the glory in Munich, PSG aims to win the FIFA Club World Cup, estimated to earn at least 140 million euros.
If successful, PSG is estimated to earn an additional 500 million euros in revenue by 2029, thanks to the spillover effect of the global tournament.
With this leverage, Qatar's owners believe they can surpass Real Madrid to become the club with the highest revenue on the planet.
Currently, PSG is ranked 3rd in revenue, after Real Madrid and Man City. Qatar has made mistakes with its star policy such as Ibrahimovic, Neymar, Mbappe or Leo Messi.
Paris fans are no longer interested in those players. They are bored with Messi and Mbappe, and have turned to Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele, or Vitor Ferreira, better known as Vitinha.
A few years ago, Vitinha was virtually unknown, having been dropped by Wolves as an attacking midfielder. Now, at the age of 25, he has established himself as a holding midfielder in Paris.
Vitinha is a rhythmic, creative and precise player. When he first arrived at the Parc des Princes, Messi once mocked him for his quality. “You’re not only bad, you hurt me,” the Argentine scolded when they clashed on the training ground.
The all-out attacking philosophy that Luis Enrique has implemented is based on the irreplaceable role of Vitinha. PSG are looking to become the capital of global club football.
Next September, if Ousmane Dembele wins the Ballon d'Or, it is very likely that PSG's image will be even more valuable.
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/psg-vo-dich-cup-c1-enrique-tai-tinh-va-tham-vong-vuot-real-madrid-2407223.html
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