Paris Saint -Germain has said goodbye to all galactic superstars – and may also be in the final of the Champions League.
After the successful final entry, Nasser Al-Khelaifi also spoke up, the President of Paris Saint-Germain: “We are very proud, we showed that we are a big team“, said Al-Khelaifi and sent out a clear message for the final: “It’s not over yet.”
The PSG President, who has meanwhile moved up to the UEFA executive, stands for the rise of PSG, but also for the bad reputation that the club enjoys with the traditional gimmick: as a figurehead and football branch of the Emirate of Qatar, which is still striving for power in international football.
No Messi, no Neymar, no Mbappé – PSG in the final of the Champions League
For years, the Qatarian club tour has pumped billions into the club from Paris, and huge amounts for megastars, without the longed-for success, the Champions League trophy that his came to. The highlight was the almost obscene “Drezack” from Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé – symbol of a greedy but unsuccessful club policy.
Last summer, the last of the “Galactic” superstars from Paris said goodbye with Mbappé. Since then, a lot has been written about a new era at PSG, as coach Luis Enrique was finally able to put together a really functioning team without having to take capricious superstars into account.
PSG under Luis Enrique – a strong collective
It is by no means the case that PSG storms into the final class with a young, wild talent selection. On the offensive, exceptional cloaks such as the recessed Ousmane Dembélé and the Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, which also cost 70 million euros. In midfield, in addition to Vitinha and Joao Neves, Fabián, which is dangerous, sets the tone. The Spaniard, secret star of the European Championship, also ensured the important leadership goal in the semi-final second leg against Arsenal.
But overall, Coach Enrique has installed a tactically excellent, strong collective, with a stable 4-3-3 basic orientation. The same system, which also plays the Spanish national team mostly in the possession phases, is one of the earlier stations of the PSG trainer.
Donnarumma – the star in the goal
In the end, the fact that Paris was able to keep the extremely playful FC Arsenal over two games was also due to her outstanding goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, who already recorded the narrow 1-0 victory in the first leg in London. As “Gigio, the third, King of England”, the Italian was celebrated by the Paris press because he had previously secured the progress in the KO games against Liverpool and Aston Villa.
Also in the European Championship final in 2021 against England he was in the hero’s penalty shootout, Donnarumma felt reminded of this after the final with PSG: “The team is closely together. So we won the European Championship with Italy”said Donnarumma and spoke of a “changed spirit” at PSG. Of course he misses Mbappé, because “He is one of the best players in the world”said Donnarumma, but also emphasized: “We are now doing a lot more than one team. We play for each other.”
Enrique “is a genius”
This is the work of the trainer, said scorer Achraf Hakimi, player of the game against Arsenal. “He did a fantastic job. He built a team, worked hard behind the scenes, he is a genius.”
PSG made it into the final of the Champions League for the second time. After losing against FC Bayern in 2020 in the shortened final tournament, in front of Corona spiritual backdrop, it now feels like the first real final. Her coach Luis Enrique knows how to win the largest final in world football, exactly ten years ago he led FC Barcelona to the Champions League victory: “The goal is to write history and the first to win this long -awaited trophy at PSG.”