Several prominent coaches have had their stint at Paris Saint-Germain. Carlo Ancelotti, Laurent Blanc, Unai Emery, Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino, and Christophe Galtier all won titles during their time at PSG, but none of them were able to win the Champions League.
However, Luis Enrique has a fantastic opportunity to win it against Inter Milan in Munich on Saturday, where all of his well-known predecessors have failed to do so.
Luis Enrique's philosophical shift from a superstar-centric model to a disciplined and youthful approach is the reason why they are favorites this season.
Over the years, PSG had a number of high-profile players, consisting Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe. After they left, Enrique was able to assemble a far more cohesive and hardworking team. Additionally, it allowed him to invest more money in promising players rather than well-known stars and spared him from the outrageous salaries.
As a result, players like as Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Joao Neves, and Achraf Hakimi have established themselves as well-known names in European football's top division.
Luis Enrique is well known for being straightforward and uncompromising. "Our game does not consist in letting Mbappe do what he wants," he said during a documentary about his time at PSG, making his objectives clear.
This statement marked a shift from the club's prior ideology, which had never won a major trophy. The message was clear that, under his leadership, no player, no matter how valuable, would receive preferential treatment in his egalitarian regime.
Luis Enrique's reign has reinstated rigorous training sessions, stringent tactical demands, and a focus on collective responsibility. No player is free from defensive duties under his leadership. His assertive approach contrasts with the player-driven environment of the past few years, in which keeping big-name players happy often overtook footballing integrity.
For PSG, the outcomes have been instantaneous. They defeated Reims last week to win their 16th Coupe de France title, setting a new record, and to secure another Ligue 1 championship. PSG has scored the most goals (33) and won the most games (10) in a single major European campaign this season. 147 goals this season as compared to 120 in Mbappe, Lionel Messi, and Neymar's final season.
"We know what kind of football we want to play and now we just need to go out and do it to our full potential," said the Spanish coach, who is looking to win his second Champions League title, a decade after leading Messi's Barcelona to glory in Berlin and also achieve something special that Ancelotti and Co. could not.
Image credit - Paris Saint-Germain Football Club