Luis Enrique’s side is now on the brink of achieving something no one else has managed in PSG’s 54-year history.
After a shaky start to the season, PSG have fought their way back with a brilliant run of form, and now find themselves with a golden chance to make history. The club, which has never lifted the Champions League trophy, is now just one win away. And coach Luis Enrique has thrown down the ultimate challenge to Ousmane Dembélé and his teammates — to bring that long-awaited European crown home.
Chasing their dream of becoming European champions for the first time, PSG will face Inter Milan in the final on Saturday. The match kicks off at 1 AM Bangladesh time at Munich’s Allianz Arena.
The Parisian club had also reached the final back in 2019–20 but fell short against Bayern Munich. Their current captain, Marquinhos, was part of that squad and is now determined to right the wrongs of the past. He’s already shared that drive with the team.
At the pre-match press conference, coach Luis Enrique also challenged his players to write a new chapter in PSG’s history.
“When you write history, it means no one in your club has done it before. I’m amazed by the players’ mentality. We are exactly where we wanted to be, but now we want to be as strong as possible and win tomorrow.”
“This journey has been long and difficult, filled with challenges. The important thing is that we had to suffer a lot at the beginning of the competition, and maybe that helped us become stronger.”
This year’s Champions League features a revamped format with 36 teams. PSG struggled early, winning just one of their first five matches, losing three, and drawing one — a poor start that put them at risk of an early exit.
But the French side turned things around dramatically. They won their last three games of the initial phase and then thrashed Brest 10-0 on aggregate in the playoff round to reach the Round of 16. From there, they knocked out Liverpool, Aston Villa, and Arsenal to secure a spot in the final.
Their opponents, Inter Milan, are three-time Champions League winners, although their last triumph came in the 2009–10 season.
PSG, meanwhile, have never won the competition and are appearing in the final for only the second time. Still, many see them as the favorites going into this title clash.
Luis Enrique, who won the Champions League with Barcelona in 2015, believes that the tough road his team has taken has made them stronger and better prepared for this final.
“In this competition, we’ve already had to play some ‘finals’… but we’ve never been afraid, and we won’t be tomorrow either.”
