Paris Saint-Germain defeated Arsenal on penalties (1-1 in regulation time, 4-3 on penalties) this Saturday at the Puskás Arena in Budapest in the 2025-2026 Champions League final. After this victory, PSG coach Luis Enrique spoke at a press conference.
Enrique: “We played a very high-level final.”
With this title, you become PSG’s most decorated coach. What are your feelings?
“The feeling is only positive. We’re in a dream. I’m very happy. But I would like to point out that today we were unfair to Warren. He deserved to play in this final. He showed tremendous character. He accepted my decision, and for me, that was very unfair. But he showed during the minutes he played that he was very professional. I would like to emphasize that.” Then we played a very high-level final against one of the toughest opponents.
Scoring in the opening minutes was the perfect plan for them. The first half was difficult, but we improved in the second half. It was very difficult against their deep-lying defense. This back-to-back was incredible and very tough. Our fans were incredible too.
Last year you announced your desire to win a second star, what do you say tonight?
“It’s clear we have objectives to prepare for, but we have time. Last year we made history. We had the Club World Cup and it was very difficult afterward. Most of the players will be joining their national teams for the World Cup, but my staff and I are going to enjoy the holidays. We’re happy to have objectives worthy of this club, this city, and our fans.”
Enrique: “I wanted to prepare for this session in a very calm environment.”
How did you decide on the penalty takers?
“As always, we choose the best-prepared penalty takers from among the eight actual shooters. I wanted to prepare for this session in a very calm environment.”
This final was played at 6 p.m., did that change your approach to preparing for the match?
“We always have to adapt to different circumstances. We always have to be ready, regardless of whether we are the better team. Today, we showed that even if Arsenal had a better team, even in different circumstances and with a one-goal deficit, we always fight until the final whistle.”
You have won everything with this team, do you want to keep the same squad for next season?
“It’s a new chapter. We will follow the same path. It’s very difficult to find the right players for our team. We will analyze, especially after this match, to prepare for the future. We need to change some things, but we are European champions for the second year in a row, so we’ll take it slow.”
