Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique described his side’s Champions League final victory over Arsenal as “unbelievable” after the French champions survived a tense penalty shootout to retain Europe’s biggest prize following a dramatic 1-1 draw in Budapest.
PSG defeated Arsenal 4-3 on penalties after Ousmane Dembélé’s second-half spot kick cancelled out Kai Havertz’s early opener in a final Luis Enrique admitted pushed both teams to their limits.
Speaking after lifting a second consecutive Champions League title with PSG, the Spanish coach praised his players’ mentality, composure and resilience against what he called “the best defensive team in the world.”
“I’m living a dream, I’m thrilled,” Luis Enrique said.
“We delivered a top-tier final against a top-tier opponent. We couldn’t find the spaces, and we improved in the second half.”
“But Arsenal defended perfectly in a low block. In the end, it’s unbelievable, and we’re incredibly proud.”
Luis Enrique also made a point of publicly praising teenage midfielder Warren Zaïre-Emery, admitting he regretted limiting the youngster’s involvement in the final.
“With Warren, I was very unfair,” the PSG manager admitted.
“He deserved to play in the final. He showed his character, he accepted my decision. I want to emphasize that.”
The PSG coach acknowledged how difficult the match became during the penalty shootout, despite confidence in his selected takers and goalkeeper Matvei Safonov.
“We selected six true goalscorers, and they chose the best-prepared among them,” he explained.
“Mocha [Safonov] is a real specialist who poses problems. I was calm during the shootout, but I wanted it to end because we suffered a lot.”
Luis Enrique also insisted Arsenal deserved enormous credit for their performance after Mikel Arteta’s side pushed PSG to the brink throughout the final.
“Neither team deserved to lose that match,” he said.
“But over the course of the season, we deserve to win this Champions League.”
PSG struggled for rhythm in the first half after Havertz stunned them with an early sixth-minute goal, but Luis Enrique’s tactical adjustments after the interval gradually shifted momentum toward the French side.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia repeatedly caused problems down the left flank before Dembélé eventually equalised from the penalty spot midway through the second half.
The match remained level through extra time before PSG finally prevailed in the shootout.
The victory secured consecutive Champions League titles for PSG and further cemented Luis Enrique’s growing legacy in Paris after transforming the club into Europe’s dominant force following years of continental frustration.
Attention is already beginning to shift toward the future, with PSG preparing for another demanding campaign that includes the expanded FIFA Club World Cup.
However, Luis Enrique insisted there would be no immediate rush to reshape his squad despite speculation surrounding possible transfers.
“That’s another chapter,” he said when asked about next season’s squad plans.
“We’ll stick to our approach. We don’t need a lot of players because it’s very tough to break into PSG.”
“We’ll work on the future, but there’s no urgency. We’ll need new players for more options, but we already have a very strong squad. We’ll take it step by step.”
Luis Enrique also embraced growing conversations about PSG pursuing an unprecedented third consecutive Champions League title.
“Our high ambitions match those of the fans, the club and the city,” he declared.
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