Luis Enrique's Masterpiece Gives Birth to Unrivaled PSG

It took 54 years and 14 years under the control of Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) for Paris Saint-Germain to lift their first Champions League trophy. Not only did they earn the title of European champions for the first time, but "Les Parisiens" also became the ninth team to win three major trophies in a single competitive season.

PSG need to appoint 30 permanent head coaches to lead them to the Champions League podium. Spanish tactician Luis Enrique is a coach who will forever be in the PSG hall of fame.

In the second season in Paris, Enrique established PSG as the European champion and a new dominant team in the world. The French League, the French League Cup, and the Champions League are the trophies lifted by Marquinhos, the captain of PSG, in the final month of the 2024-2025 season.

Inter Milan at the Allianz Arena, Munich, on Sunday (1/6/2025) early morning WIB, witnessed the unmatched strength of PSG. "I Nerazzurri," with an experienced average age of 30.3 years among their 11 main players, were powerless against the young talents of the French capital club, whose average age is 24.8 years.

Indeed, two young players, Dasire Doue and Senny Mayulu, made it onto the scoreboard. Doue, in particular, was also named the best player of the 2024-2025 Champions League final due to his fantastic performance, which included two goals and one assist.

The performances of Doue and Mayulu are a result of Enrique's trust in young players. While coaching the Spanish national team, Enrique provided debut opportunities to five players under the age of 20 during the World Cup.

A similar situation was continued by Enrique when managing PSG since the summer of 2023. Nine players aged a maximum of 20 years were given the opportunity to debut wearing the Les Parisiens uniform in official competitions.

In the final match of the Champions League during his second tenure as a coach, Enrique fielded five key players who were below the average age of the squad. They are Doue (19), Joao Neves (20), Nuno Mendes (22), Willian Pacho (23), and Kvicha Kvaratskhelia (24).

Furthermore, three players under the age of 23 also entered in the second half. Mayulu (19), Bradley Barcola (22), and Warren Zaire-Emery (19) further enhance the impression of the young PSG squad that has conquered Europe, as well as France.

"This season we have a lot of young players, and it's not easy," Enrique was quoted as saying on UEFA's website about his young squad.

If we turn back time to December 2024, there was not a single party, including PSG supporters, who believed that Enrique's team had the ambition to sweep all the championship titles in the 2024-2025 season. Despite their unstoppable performance in France, Les Parisiens struggled in the preliminary round of the Champions League.

PSG's turning point came when they beat Manchester City 4-2 in the seventh game of the qualifying round on January 23, 2025. They qualified for the Champions League knockout playoffs in 15th place.

Entering the round of 16, PSG has become difficult to compete against. Three English teams have been eliminated by PSG. Liverpool, Aston Villa, and Arsenal have felt the superiority of PSG's young players, who are becoming increasingly mature in the second half of this season.

They possess extraordinary speed, a great passion for playing, and dynamic movements that are difficult for other teams to stop. Three out of five goals scored against Inter were achieved through their ability to execute effective positive transitions.

PSG concluded the Champions League with a total of 38 goals, creating 71 chances, completing 556 successful passes, making 19 shots per game, achieving 12 successful dribbles per match, maintaining 61.6 percent ball possession, and recording seven clean sheets. These statistical records also demonstrate PSG's championship with the ambition to dominate their opponents.

"Many of the young players have matured and become decisive in the final game. Defensively, we also performed well," said Enrique.

Gianluigi Donnarumma, the goalkeeper of PSG, revealed the secret behind the young PSG squad's ability to reach the pinnacle of Europe and France. Enrique, said the Italian goalkeeper, always pays attention to detail in the preparation for each match.

"The coach gives us freedom and helps us stay calm. This is his philosophy. He prepares for the final in the best way possible. We felt that from the first minute," said Donnarumma, who has surpassed his idol, Gianluigi Buffon, thanks to his achievement in the Champions League.

Rio Ferdinand, former Manchester United and England player, in his review with TNT Sports, took his hat off to Enrique's hard work in shaping PSG into the best squad in Europe this season. In the final match, Ferdinand continued, PSG displayed a climax performance that confirmed the significant development of the team collectively.

"PSG is very dominant. They play as if their lives are at stake, and the players have activated their killer mode. An outstanding performance for such a significant game as the final. I have never seen a team this dominant in a Champions League final," Ferdinand stated.

Enrique has matched his friend Pep Guardiola's achievement of winning the treble with two different teams. While Guardiola did it with Barcelona and Manchester City, Enrique delivered three major titles in one season with Barca and PSG.

However, the young PSG squad is not complacent. The Champions League title for 2024-2025 is just the beginning of the emergence of a new dominant team in Europe. This is evident with the new historical record set in the Champions League final. No team has been able to lead by five goals in the trophy contest for the Big Ears.

The 2025 Club World Cup and the 2025 UEFA Super Cup will be the two closest trophies Les Parisiens can get after that magical night in Munich. AllezParis!