Luis Enrique will lead Paris Saint-Germain into the Champions League final against Inter Milan on Saturday with his team on the brink of a treble, but he does not believe their success this season is the result of some new-found harmony.
PSG once again dominated in Ligue 1 and retained the Coupe de France with a 3-0 victory over Reims last weekend, but it is their improvements on the Champions League stage that have been widely praised this season.
They reached the semi-finals under Luis Enrique last campaign, but their progress to the final this term, which has seen them knock out three Premier League sides in Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal, has taken many by surprise given it has come following the departure of Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid.
With the Mbappe era, which also saw Neymar and Lionel Messi try and fail to win the Champions League with PSG, now in the past, a common refrain this season has concerned the unity Luis Enrique’s side now appear to have without him.
But that is not an observation Luis Enrique accepts.
“We’ve had this harmony since the get-go,” he said in his pre-match press conference. “Maybe it’s just something you guys didn’t want to see.
“I am the same person since the get-go, since last season, nothing has changed. They [the players] always play with the glass half-full. I play to their strengths, try to get them to improve individually.”
While PSG were somewhat fortunate to survive a second-leg comeback from Villa in the quarter-finals, they were the better side across the two legs against Liverpool before winning on penalties. Contrary to the view of Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, PSG were the the dominant team in the last-four tie with the Gunners.
In short, they have risen to the challenge at each point in the knockout rounds, and Luis Enrique is determined to ensure the occasion at the Allianz Arena does not get the better of them as they aim to overcome a daunting final hurdle.
“[Inter] are a well-oiled machine. When they don’t have the ball, they defend the ball very well,” he added.
“We are going to try and play to our strengths, where we think we are best.
“I want to ensure my team doesn’t let the emotions get the better of them. What makes us as a team, and what I want to share with my boys, is that our journey has been difficult, a long and winding road. I think we are ready, and I hope we can get it.”
Luis Enrique led Barcelona to a famous treble in 2014-15, subsequently going on to win both the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup to make it five trophies in a calendar year.
But he refused to engage in a discussion of where winning the treble with PSG would rank in the achievements of a glittering coaching career.
Asked that question, he replied: “No. My ambition is to win this Champions League for PSG and to be the first team in history to do it for Paris.”
