When Luis Enrique leads his Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) group out to play Inter Milan in Saturday’s UEFA Champions League ultimate, the coach will likely be in search of to win the European continent’s prime prize for the primary time for the French aspect and reverse years of fan frustration on the Parc des Princes.
That is the membership which, till lately, boasted celebrity gamers the caliber of Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr, however did not win any European silverware for the reason that third-tier UEFA Intertoto Cup approach again in 2001.
Since his arrival in 2023, Enrique has modified PSG radically, overseeing the high-profile exits of Messi, Neymar and Mbappe, and transitioning from a group of ageing galacticos into one of the vital thrilling attacking sides in Europe.
Whether or not Enrique’s methodology is the most effective could finally be judged by what occurs within the Champions League ultimate in Munich.
Enrique the participant
Away from occasions on the pitch, who’s the true Luis Enrique who has presided over this radical transformation at PSG?
The 55-year-old started his soccer profession in 1988, enjoying within the midfield for his native aspect, Sporting Gijon, a group within the Spanish Segunda Division.
In 1991 he was signed by mega membership Actual Madrid the place he helped Los Blancos win La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Tremendous Cup. On a person degree, Enrique didn’t carry out as much as expectations, which was principally attributed to enjoying out of place on the wing and in additional defensive roles.
Bitter rivals FC Barcelona snapped up an out-of-form Enrique in 1996, the place he reverted to his favoured central midfield function. It paid dividends for the Catalan giants and Enrique went on to win La Liga, the Copa del Rey and Spanish Tremendous Cup trophies with Barca.
After retiring as a participant in 2004, he went into administration, reportedly on the invitation of present Manchester Metropolis supervisor Pep Guardiola.
Enrique began his teaching profession at FC Barcelona “B”, earlier than transferring to AS Roma in Italy’s Serie A for the 2011-2012 season. The Spaniard was sacked on the finish of the season, with a yr nonetheless remaining on his contract, after Roma completed a disappointing seventh within the premier home competitors.
Managing expectations
His subsequent transfer was to Spanish La Liga aspect Celta Vigo – however he additionally departed from that membership after only one yr. It was then that Enrique obtained his career-altering managerial alternative, returning to Barcelona as supervisor of the primary group.
His four-year reign on the Nou Camp was topped by Barca’s victory within the Champions League ultimate in 2015 towards Juventus, with the “Large-3” of Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar main the attacking line, finishing a uncommon treble for the membership: Spanish League (La Liga), Spanish Cup (Copa del Rey) and European (Champions League) titles.
If PSG win the Champions League ultimate on Saturday, Enrique will make historical past be changing into the one man to ever obtain a treble on two events.
When Enrique was named group coach of Spain in 2018, he entered a brand new world of worldwide soccer.
Earlier than the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Spain was fancied as doable winners. Nonetheless, after a crushing spherical of 16 loss to underdogs Morocco, Enrique introduced his resignation from the nationwide aspect.
Incessant media hypothesis linked Enrique’s subsequent managerial job with a transfer to England’s Premier League.
He was interviewed by Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea – however it was PSG, to the shock of many, who secured his signature.
Maybe it was the distinctive problem of successful the Champions League with one in every of solely two European tremendous golf equipment by no means to have achieved the milestone – Arsenal being the opposite – which made him head to Paris.
Or maybe it was a need to indicate off his imaginative and prescient of attacking soccer by rebuilding a membership his approach.
Take me to Paris
A latest three-part documentary, produced by Zoom Sport Movies, supplied an intimate portrait of the coach who allowed the cameras into his non-public life for the primary time, regardless of Enrique’s well-known animosity in direction of the media.
No Teneis Ni P*** Idea (You Don’t Have Any F****** Thought) reveals a pushed man who’s as keen about soccer as his household – and preserving match.
Viewers see Enrique arriving at PSG talking only some phrases of French. However, he imposes his character on the membership from the beginning.
Identified by his nickname, Lucho, Enrique brings a Spanish-speaking teaching workers with him and addresses the gamers in his personal language, with assistance from a French translator.
As relations together with his greatest star – Mbappe – seem to worsen, viewers are handled to Enrique giving the star participant what former Manchester United supervisor Sir Alex Ferguson used to name the “hairdryer remedy”, or an enormous telling off.
However, as that is France, Enrique calls it “C’est Catastrophique (It’s catastrophic)” on a giant presentation display to the striker. The Spaniard is referring to Mbappe’s obvious refusal to defend in any respect after PSG have been crushed 2-3 at dwelling by Barcelona within the quarterfinal of the Champions League in April final yr.
Regardless of the manager-star participant bust-up, PSG would transfer on to the semifinals, the place they have been finally crushed by Borussia Dortmund. A yr on, Enrique’s post-match feedback could change into prophetic:
“Now it’s a tragic second however you need to settle for typically sport is that approach. We now have to attempt to create one thing particular subsequent yr and win it.”
Behind-the-scenes with Lucho
Curiously for a soccer supervisor, he spends a lot of his day learning his group on a collection of pc screens. That is interspersed with exercises. “You should transfer each half an hour,” he says. Within the documentary, Enrique is seen, in his plush Parisian home, recurrently doing numerous strenuous workout routines or biking.
On the PSG coaching camp, he mixes group talks with plunges into his ice pool. It pays off, because the supervisor is match. However when he walks across the pitch, it’s at all times barefoot as he believes in “grounding” or getting again in contact with nature.
The documentary mixes moments from Enrique’s illustrious profession, from the Actual Madrid and Barca days, in addition to the Spain function – the great and the unhealthy. Not surprisingly, the bottom level is when Morocco upsets Spain and knocks the bookmaker’s favorite out of the World Cup.
Away from soccer, we additionally see a young aspect to Lucho when the documentary touches on his shut relationship together with his youngest daughter, Xana, who died on the age of 9 from osteosarcoma, a bone tumour, in 2019.
Enrique arrange a basis in her title together with his spouse, Elena Cullell, to attempt to assist different households who’re tormented by the identical situation.
Graham Hunter, a producer on the documentary and a soccer journalist who’s buddies with Enrique, described his persona as “demanding and inspirational”.
“As a footballer, he was distinctive. A Spanish Roy Keane. His capability to play in all places on the pitch barely minimize how good he was as a result of managers used him all around the pitch. He was trophy-laden at Madrid and Barca,” he says.
“He didn’t wish to be a coach initially. [He] Accepted an invite from Pep [Guardiola] I believe to educate Barca B. Though he clashed a little bit bit with Messi and Luis Suarez however that [2015] Champions League victory, it was unbelievable. They gained the treble.”
Hunter believes Enrique modified the enjoying model of the Spain group throughout his managerial tenure, introducing younger expertise like Pedri.
“He constructed what has change into a successful franchise and he carries an enormous quantity of credit score to him,” he stated.
Hunter says Enrique didn’t simply go to PSG to win the Champions League.
“He went to PSG to imprint his model of soccer and to persuade the gamers, the followers that it was an excellent, fashionable option to play soccer and to do this, you need to win the Champions League. For him, he’s as eager about how folks see his soccer as attacking and inspirational as successful trophies.”
