PSG wins the Champions League: When football is fair

Supporting attacking football is

President Al Khelaifi (left) and coach Luis Enrique after the 2026 Champions League final - Photo: REUTERS

Hard times

For over a year, coach Luis Enrique has been at the pinnacle of success, but fans need to remember what he went through four years prior. After Spain's defeat at the 2022 World Cup, Enrique had to resign in humiliation. Winning and losing are normal parts of football, but Enrique's story back then was far more than just about winning and losing.

Many Spaniards celebrated when Enrique left. Ernesto Vaca-Pereira Sanchez, a freelance journalist in Madrid, shared: "Half of Spanish football fans hoped Spain would fail at the World Cup that year, because Enrique didn't call up many Real Madrid players."

During his four years as head coach of Spain, the strategist from Asturias endured plenty of criticism, slander, and isolation from a large segment of his home fans. The reason was simply because he strongly chose a possession-based football philosophy – a philosophy similar to that of Barcelona.

But coach Enrique wasn't afraid to confront the opposition, refused to compromise, and was ready to pay the price for defeat fairly – by resigning. Leaving Spain, he went to work at PSG, still with the same philosophy he had when working at Barca and the national team. The Parc des Princes was then a mess with the departures of Messi and Neymar, while Mbappe only stayed to complete his contract before leaving for his "dream team," Real Madrid.

PSG celebrate winning the Champions League 2025-2026.

Enrique needs Al Khelaifi, and vice versa.

The dark days in the life of this former football star lasted for five years, beginning with the heartbreak of losing his daughter Xana to cancer in 2019. Enrique aged noticeably and almost transformed into a different person. According to his family, his personality changed drastically, becoming introverted and no longer using social media.

On the pitch, Enrique became increasingly tough, shouting more on the sidelines and not shying away from any confrontations behind the scenes. In Mbappe's final season at PSG, there was even an instance where Enrique dragged him into a private room to "teach" him a tactical lesson.

Ultimately, with the strength of a passionate strategist, a tenacious football fan, and a father grieving the loss of his son, Enrique overcame all obstacles. He built a PSG team exactly as he envisioned, without needing Mbappe or other flashy superstars. For the past two years, PSG has played the ideal football that Enrique envisioned.

The greatest stroke of luck Enrique received during this darkest moment in his career was the support from President Al Khelaifi – a man also known for his intense love of football.

Like Enrique, billionaire Nasser Al Khelaifi also faced ridicule and criticism from fans. He created a dream team for football with the Messi-Neymar-Mbappe trio in attack, only to be met with sarcastic remarks that he "understood nothing about football."

At his lowest point, Al Khelaifi found the light of his life - coach Luis Enrique. And conversely, the Spanish strategist finally found his "master," someone willing to wholeheartedly support him in building a style of football that seemed impractical in modern times.

Enrique may have been wrong in dividing the Spanish national team, and Al Khelaifi may have also been led astray by the superstars at PSG. But there is one thing fans must admire about them: their unwavering love and belief in football. When two passionate individuals met, they transformed failure into glory. That is the fair reward football has given to Luis Enrique and Al Khelaifi.

Many neutral fans believe that football was fair in the Champions League final (which ended in the early hours of May 31st). PSG pursued a truly attacking style of play and won 4-3 against Arsenal in the penalty shootout.

According to Tuoi Tre Newspaper

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/psg-vo-dich-champions-league-khi-bong-da-cong-bang-a487460.html