Paris Saint-Germain are into a second Champions League final, defeating four Premier League clubs en route, and are now determined to claim a first European Cup when they face Inter Milan in Munich
Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi insists Luis Enrique is the best coach in the world - but his work is “not finished.”
Enrique has now seen off FOUR Premier League clubs after the French champions beat Arsenal to reach the Champions League final. PSG, who beat Manchester City in the league phase while also overcoming Liverpool and Aston Villa in the knock-out stage, are on course to win the trophy for the first time in the club’s history.
Al-Khelaifi insists their brilliant campaign is down to Enrique’s attacking vision but warned they must complete the job against Inter Milan in Munich to deliver the club’s ultimate ambition.
Al-Khelaifi said: “It's not finished. There's one match, very, very important. We're going to celebrate. We're going to focus on the match, the final in Munich. The first thing Luis Enrique told me is: ‘you’re going to see your team, the club, your team playing amazing football. You're going to enjoy it.’
“That's what he said … ‘I want to play offensive football’ and that’s what he told us and he’s done it. And he’s the best coach in the world.”
PSG only squeezed into the knockout phase after beating Brest in the play-offs following inconsistent performances and results in the league stage.
Al-Khelaifi admitted that this season was about building a young team minus the superstars of the past and so to reach the final means they are well ahead of schedule. They reached the 2020 Champions League final but lost to Bayern Munich in an empty stadium in Covid times.
He added: “So this year the dream was to build the team, build a young team for the future. That was our objective. If you had told me the objective was to be in a final, that was not true. If you had told me after three matches in the Group stage that would be our target… it was just to qualify and then we did it through the play-off.
“But I think what I felt and I smelled something between the players, the team spirit, the coach, the sport advisor, the fans, everybody that here is something so special.
“This is the first final we play with our supporters, with our fans. We'll be there. So it's something very, very special. Inter Milan is fantastic team.
“They're two years now in the final. So we know the danger of Inter Milan. I would like to congratulate them to reach the final. We are in the final now and you know everything can happen.”