Flawed superstar era to brink of European glory - Luis Enrique's PSG revolution

Champions League last 2025: Paris St-Germain v Inter Milan

Date: 31 May Venue: Allianz Arena, Munich

Coverage: Live power commentary connected BBC 5 Sports Extra, positive unrecorded matter commentary connected nan BBC Sport website and app, followed by video highlights

Paris St-Germain's travel to nan brink of glory successful nan Champions League last started erstwhile nan last elephantine awesome of nan club's alleged "bling bling" era was swept away.

Kylian Mbappe's determination to subordinate Real Madrid past summertime saw nan only remaining personnel of nan superstar attacking trio, which included Neymar and Lionel Messi, time off Paris, clearing nan measurement for PSG's move of strategy nether coach Luis Enrique.

Described by those wrong PSG arsenic "a footballing architect", Luis Enrique seized his chance, convincing nine president Nasser al-Khelaifi and shot advisor Luis Campos that he could build a younger, better, much cohesive broadside successful nan post-Mbappe age.

And truthful it has proved, arsenic now only a formidable Inter Milan squad guidelines betwixt this thrilling young PSG broadside and nan crown they crave most, nan Champions League.

PSG, fuelled by superb young talents specified arsenic 19-year-old Desire Doue and Georgian brilliant Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and inspired by Luis Enrique, who has known specified calamity and triumph successful his life, person go a genuine Champions League feel-good communicative connected nan pitch.

Can they now supply a happy ending?

Luis Enrique walks barefoot connected nan writer of Campus PSG, nan club's training crushed 25 minutes distant from their Parc des Princes home, each greeting arsenic portion of his devotion to "earthing", believing it brings him person to quality and helps conflict disconnected allergies.

If nan 55-year-old Asturian tin bring nan Champions League to Paris for nan first time, PSG's fanatical ultras will beryllium judge he tin besides locomotion connected water.

His assignment successful July 2023 was a clear awesome that PSG were moving distant from nan superstar culture, a melodramatic alteration of guidance which appealed to a coach bolted connected to nan squad ethic.

French shot master Julien Laurens told BBC Sport: "They wanted personification to build thing for nan future, pinch patience. He was nan champion candidate.

"The considered group of nan calibre of Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho. These guys are winners but they triumph now. They don't really build anything. Luis Enrique fitted what PSG wanted."

Former Brazil midfielder Rai, who was a personnel of nan only PSG squad to triumph a European trophy successful nan Cup Winners' Cup successful 1996, is besides a Luis Enrique admirer.

Rai told BBC Sport: "Nowadays, for a squad to beryllium considered complete and pinch a bully chance of winning awesome titles, they request not only talent, but 100% committedness from each players, astatine each times of nan game, whether defending aliases attacking, pinch aliases without nan ball.

"What is astir awesome astir Luis Enrique's guidance is nan truth that he achieved this successful specified a short time, and particularly pinch specified young players. This shows that his tactical strategy was good understood, that nan players judge successful him, and that his strategy is very effective."

Away from nan pitch, nan coach besides demanded a level of power that had escaped predecessors specified arsenic Unai Emery, Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino and Christophe Galtier.

"Luis Enrique is nan leader of nan club," said Laurens. "For a agelong clip it was tally by nan superstars. If they didn't want to do thing they wouldn't do it. They would spell consecutive to nan president. It undermined nan coach - not immoderate more."

Luis Enrique's authority is absolute erstwhile it comes to playing matters astatine PSG.

Pierre-Etienne Minonzio, based successful Paris pinch influential sports insubstantial L'Equipe, told BBC Sport: "People astatine PSG understood location had been a problem of authority successful nan past fewer years.

"Galtier was a French manager, and a bully one, but lacked nan acquisition to enforce his views. He was a very bully manager, but not beardown capable to look Mbappe and opportunity things to him.

"It was nan aforesaid pinch Mauricio Pochettino. It was ever said his obsession was to person bid successful nan dressing room. He ne'er took immoderate decisions that went against Messi and Mbappe,

"Enrique was not having that. He told PSG intelligibly 'If I americium nan leader and I will beryllium nan boss'. He's now nan feline who embodies nan full club, nan full team."

Luis Enrique is obsessive astir PSG and his ain self-discipline down to nan finest details, pinch his watch moreover alerting him if he has not carried retired immoderate stretching aliases activity for 30 minutes.

In 2007, he successfully took connected nan Frankfurt Ironman situation - a 2.4-mile swim, a 118-mile rhythm and a afloat marathon. In 2008, he ran nan gruelling Marathon de Sables, a 155-mile title staged complete six days successful nan Sahara desert.

He is, however, personification pinch existent position aft losing his nine-year-old girl Xana to a uncommon shape of bony crab successful 2019.

Luis Enrique has said: "Her assemblage is gone, but she hasn't died. She's still pinch us.

"Physically, she whitethorn not beryllium here, but spiritually she is. Because each time we talk astir her, we laugh, and we retrieve because I deliberation Xana still sees us."

It enables him to bespeak connected nan realities of football, erstwhile saying: "I'm not acrophobic of nan worst successful shot If they sack me, nary problem. The adjacent day, I'll spell for a cycling trip."

Should Luis Enrique triumph his 2nd Champions League, pursuing a triumph pinch Barcelona successful 2015, it will beryllium a infinitesimal of history and precocious emotion successful Munich.

Mbappe's departure was PSG's clear nan aerial moment. The French superstar whitethorn person added goals and a touch of genius, but nan scenery shifted astatine Parc des Princes erstwhile he left.

Luis Enrique saw it arsenic nan opportunity to exert complete power connected really PSG played, pinch brilliant, but yet individualistic, Mbappe gone.

This power was complete a caller "team" - successful nan literal consciousness of nan connection - pinch Luis Enrique focusing connected young talent he could mould alternatively than established, often ego-driven, figures.

The coach believed it mightiness return much than this play to situation for nan biggest prize, namely nan Champions League, and a slow commencement to nan run backed this view.

He whitethorn respect reaching nan Champions League last arsenic being up of schedule.

PSG's caller era genuinely began erstwhile Premier League champions Manchester City were thrashed 4-2 connected a rain-lashed nighttime successful Paris and nan caller brigade for illustration Doue and Bradley Barcola came to prominence. Ousmane Dembele, restored from his Barcelona struggles, delivered a stunning cameo arsenic substitute.

And truthful it went on, arsenic this trio helped PSG return a wrecking shot to nan Premier League's elite, Liverpool, Aston Villa and past Arsenal beaten successful nan knockout shape to scope Munich.

To adhd to their increasing power, Kvaratskhelia arrived from Napoli successful January for 70m euros (£59m) positive add-ons to complete nan jigsaw.

Former Scotland winger and BBC Sport pundit Pat Nevin is simply a long-time Kvaratskhelia instrumentality saying: "He has sewage everything I want from a winger, but a spot much arsenic well.

"He ever wants to return players on. He wants to onslaught players. He has tons of tricks and flicks. He does different things and he breaks lines. Never ever fearful, ever affirmative and wants to entertain.

"You request 2 group to people him. If he doesn't spell by players, he draws players towards him, and past he slips others successful because he has developed nan space."

Doue had a slow commencement but, on pinch Barcola and Dembele, was nan beneficiary of Luis Enrique's one-on-one attention, nan coach utterly invested successful nan young talent that would decorate his caller team.

Rai said: "What impresses maine astir about them [PSG's young forwards] is that they harvester method quality, tactical obedience and beingness strength pinch personality. All of them person an awesome expertise to dribble and improvise."

And location is nary preferential treatment. All are adjacent successful Luis Enrique's eyes.

Dembele was dropped earlier nan Champions League crippled astatine Arsenal successful October aft Luis Enrique expressed dissatisfaction pinch his work-rate successful a Ligue 1 crippled against Rennes.

Dembele returned transformed and freshly motivated, starring PSG's tally to nan Ligue 1 title, nan Coupe de France - and now pinch nan Champions League successful their sights.

Measured by mean age, PSG are nan youngest broadside to person progressed beyond nan play-off information successful nan Champions League this play astatine 24 years 262 days.

And their intense, high-pressing style is illustrated by nan truth they rank first successful nan tourney this play for shot-ending precocious turnovers (37). They often move high-presses into attacking opportunities.

This will beryllium a last of younker against experience, pinch nan mean property of Inter Milan's starting 11 successful nan Champions League this play 30 years and 19 days - nan oldest among each 36 teams progressive successful nan tournament.

PSG will dream Luis Enrique's potent blend of youthful brilliance and much knowledgeable figures specified arsenic skipper Marquinhos and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who has had a superb Champions League campaign, will yet bring nan trophy to Paris.

The celebrated Virage Auteuil, wherever PSG's 'ultras' stitchery astatine 1 extremity of Parc des Princes, will beryllium transported to Munich for 1 nighttime only for this final.

To watch PSG trim a swathe done nan Premier League's champion connected nan measurement to Munich was to witnesser nan dial of anticipation turned up pinch each crippled successful a kaleidoscope of colour and a wall of sound.

PSG's followers were denied nan chance to be nan club's only erstwhile Champions League final, erstwhile they mislaid 1-0 down closed doors to Bayern Munich astatine Lisbon's Stadium Of Light during nan Covid pandemic.

So a typical invited will await PSG's players of nan benignant that has go acquainted astatine Parc des Princes.

"Beaten By The Waves, Paris Never Sunk" publication nan tifo stretching on 1 extremity of Virage Auteuil earlier PSG hit Manchester City, while "55 years of representation down you to constitute history" was nan connection earlier Arsenal were beaten successful nan semi-final 2nd limb successful Paris.

There will, nary doubt, beryllium caller motivational messages for PSG's players connected Saturday night.

In nan erstwhile 10 seasons, PSG person reached 2 semi-finals, 2 quarter-finals, nan past 16 5 times, and that 1 last nether Tuchel.

PSG's colourful fans person been flooding into Munich for nan biggest nighttime successful their history, anticipation dense successful nan aerial that Luis Enrique's emerging broadside tin astatine past transverse that elusive last frontier.