EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Luis Enrique said Paris Saint-Germain’s “team of stars” can deliver the “icing on the cake” for their incredible season in the FIFA Club World Cup final after seeing the club overcome the exits of Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi and Neymar to become the best team in the world.
PSG face Chelsea in Sunday’s final at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey as strong favourites to add the Club World Cup to the Champions League, Ligue 1 and Coupe de France titles already won during the 2024-25 season.
Enrique’s team are now widely recognised as the number one club side in the world and a win on Sunday would confirm that status.
But after rebuilding PSG following the departures of their superstar players, former Barcelona coach Luis Enrique says the key to the team’s success has been their team of stars rather than one individual.
“We have 11 stars — that’s football,” Luis Enrique told reporters on Friday. “We don’t just want one main player.
“We want 11 stars, maybe 14-15 in our squad, and that’s the commitment we have from our directors and president.
“We want a team of stars. There isn’t a single PSG fan acting as the star, the whole of the Parc des Princes is the star, and that’s what we want on the pitch.
“This team is above individual players and we are leaders because of this. We will lose at some point, that’s the way it goes, and we do want stars — but only as a team.”
PSG booked their place in the final with a 4-0 semifinal win against Real Madrid having already beaten fellow European heavyweights Bayern Munich and Atlético Madrid en route to the final.
A 5-0 Champions League final win against Inter Milan, after beating four Premier League team previously in this season’s competition, underlined PSG’s dominance, but Luis Enrique says that his side need to beat Chelsea to have a perfect end to the season.
“This is the last game in the season and we’ve been feeling good,” Luis Enrique said. “We’ve had a very good year and for us it’s very important to finish this historic season in the best possible way.
“We have been absolutely incredible, we have written history and we want to keep going and win Sunday’s game. We need to win to put the icing on the cake.
“But if you think this game will be a walk in the park, you really don’t know what football is about
“Chelsea won the Conference League, they are a growing team. I love Enzo Maresca as a coach because his team, they always go to attack and they press really well. This won’t just be any old game.
“It’s very important for us to be aware of how difficult this game is going to be. Chelsea have talented individuals and they can defend under pressure. Their team is on par with us.”
PSG captain Marquinhos has urged his teammates to take advantage of the chance to become world champions by saying it is a rare opportunity for the club.
“We are aware of the importance of this match,” he said. “It’s a golden opportunity in a competition that happens every four years.
“Every match has its own story. The club is ready to go for this title and the coach has prepared us very well.”
“In a final, it’s a 50-50 bet, but we really want this title and that’s our mindset at the moment.”
Marquinhos, 31, has been with PSG since arriving from Roma in 2013 and he has seen the club evolve from a team of superstars to the modern-day version of Luis Enrique’s side.
And despite the talent he has played alongside including Mbappé, Neymar, Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Marquinhos says that today’s team is the best of the lot.
“Over the last few months, we have been playing an exceptional level,” he said. “It’s a real honour to be part of this team, it’s a very strong team.
“In terms of results, this is definitely the best team I have been in at PSG, but I have played with some amazing players who have achieved incredible things in football — players who have won more than these players right now.
“But taking it all into consideration, this is the team that has done most collectively.
“When I joined, played with players who were idols of mine and I have lived wonderful times here alongside wonderful players. But in terms of results and titles, this is probably the best squad so far.”
Source link
