Luis Enrique, the Paris Saint-Germain coach, spoke to CBS Sports Golazo after the penalty shootout victory (1-1 in regulation time, 4-3 on penalties) against Arsenal this Saturday at the Puskás Arena in Budapest in the 2025-2026 Champions League final.
Luis Enrique: “If you look at the whole season, I think we have a slight advantage.”
Is it a better feeling than last year?
Absolutely! It’s incredible. I spoke with Rafael Pol and asked him if he thought we would win again… When you give it your all, that’s the most important thing. After that, the result matters less. Both teams deserved the trophy. But if you look at the whole season, I think we have a slight advantage. We suffered a lot, we faced the best teams, and we deserve the trophy.
Is it tough to play against Arsenal? Did you try to move Doué around to find space? Were there any other changes?
They tried to defend as best they could, and they were lucky to score early on. It was very difficult for us. They defended very well, very deep. We looked for space. It was difficult, we were losing. We were better in the second half, we created more chances. It was more balanced after the goal. I think we deserved to win.
Luis Enrique: “The most important thing is that the fans enjoy watching the team.”
You said when Mbappé left that the team would be stronger, and you’ve done it. Some people confuse arrogance with confidence. What you’re doing for French football is great; we’ve rarely seen a team play with so much confidence.
There’s a simple idea: we play football to enjoy ourselves. On the pitch, you have to choose quality players and play your best. The most important thing is that the fans enjoy watching the team. Ours, but also the others.
