Watch out world, Paris Saint-Germain have arrived – and they don’t plan on leaving any time soon.
That was the message from a delighted Luis Enrique after leading PSG to a historic Champions League title in the most jaw-droppingly emphatic way possible in Munich.
Led by the dazzling Desire Doue, who scored two goals, set up one and tormented Inter’s backline with ferocious pressing throughout, PSG thrashed Inter 5-0 to become the first French side to complete a league, domestic cup and European treble.
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Luis Enrique praises Ousmane Dembele and thanks PSG thanks for their gesture
Luis Enrique’s fingerprints were all over their success, the Spaniard having built a swashbuckling side packed with exciting young talents – and that youth could have the rest of the European giants shaking in their boots.
“At my first press conference, I said the ultimate goal as new coach was to fill the trophy cabinet,” Luis Enrique told a press conference after the game.
“I said the only trophy missing was the Champions League, and here we are. We have ticked that box, we were ambitious, and we are going to continue to conquer the footballing world.”
For all the millions pumped into the club in the last decade-and-a-half, it was Luis Enrique’s band of brothers approach that finally earned the Parisians their first European crown.
Although much has been made of this being a PSG team without the superstars of years gone by, Ousmane Dembele has been a standout figure all season long and Luis Enrique went out of his way to make the forward’s case for the 2025 Ballon d’Or.
“I would like to say that everyone is talking about the Ballon d’Or, but I would give it to Ousmane Dembele,” Luis Enrique said.
“Just because of how he defended today. He showed just what he is made of, he was a leader, he was humble, he got back down and defended and without a shadow of a doubt he deserves this.
“Not only for the goals he has scored, but also for the pressing that we saw. We have seen such a season from him, but he was exceptional in this final.”
After the game, the PSG fans unveiled a touching tribute to Luis Enrique’s daughter Xana with a banner of the coach planting a flag in the centre circle alongside her.
Xana tragically died aged nine in 2019 and the PSG boss was touched by the gesture.
“It was very emotional. It was beautiful to think that the supporters had thought about me and my family,” he said.
“I don’t need to win the Champions League or to win a game to think about my daughter, she is always with me. She is here, I feel her presence even when we lose.
“It’s about pooling everything we went through together and really taking the positives from the negative situation. That’s our mindset and my mentality, my family’s mentality.
“I was delighted to see the banner, but I don’t need a trophy to think about my daughter. She is always here with me.”
Inzaghi refuses to address his future
Inter coach Simone Inzaghi repeatedly described himself as “bitterly disappointed” when he faced the media, and it’s little wonder why.
When Inter faced Manchester City in Istanbul two years ago, they went in as huge underdogs and performed above expectations despite a 1-0 defeat.
This time, there was seemingly little to split Inter and PSG ahead of kick-off, yet the Nerazzurri crumbled at the Allianz Arena to ensure that a season where Inzaghi and his players had spoken openly about winning a Treble ended with nothing.
“We know that defeats can make you stronger and tonight hurts, just like Istanbul did. They were different games, tonight we came in more tired than PSG,” Inzaghi said.
“We didn’t play well technically, they were always arriving first to the second balls. We didn’t finish our league campaign until last Friday, while they won theirs with three months to go. They have a lot of quality and we knew they were stronger than us and we had to be at our best. But we weren’t and we deserved to lose.”
An unwanted distraction that has been hanging over Inter all week in the build-up to the game was the speculation about Inzaghi’s future.
With a bumper offer from Saudi Arabia reportedly on the table, the coach was asked repeatedly about if he will still be at San Siro next season, even on the eve of the Champions League final.
He shot the topic down then, and he was no more open to discussing it after a painful night for his team.
“There is too much disappointment to talk about the future, since 13 July we have given everything we can for 58 matches,” Inzaghi said.
“It would seem reductive to me to talk about the future of Inzaghi. You can talk about having no titles, but you must respect these guys who gave everything they had on the pitch.”
Will he be leading Inter to the Club World Cup in two weeks’ time? “I don’t know how to respond to that,” Inzaghi responded
