Luis Enrique is quietly reshaping the narrative round Paris Saint-Germain, as they gear up for his or her Champions League semi-final second leg in opposition to Arsenal.
The PSG coach, whose profession has already seen success at Barcelona and with the Spanish nationwide staff, has launched a definite philosophy within the French capital, one the place no particular person rises above the collective.
The outcomes have been telling.
PSG discover themselves on the verge of a spot within the Champions League closing, with a decisive conflict in opposition to Arsenal on the Parc des Princes on Wednesday after prevailing 1-0 on the Emirates Stadium final week following a powerful show of collective self-discipline.
Enrique arrived at PSG final season with a easy however agency mantra: ‘Nobody head protruding’.
At a membership traditionally synonymous with star gamers — from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Neymar to Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe — his refusal to construct a facet round particular person expertise raised eyebrows, significantly because the staff struggled within the early levels of their Champions League marketing campaign.
“You can’t perceive,” he quipped as an interviewer requested about his ways throughout the league section.
A string of unconvincing performances within the opening stage had certainly led critics to query whether or not Luis Enrique’s philosophy might succeed at a membership the place star energy has so typically overshadowed tactical cohesion.
But, months later, his strategy seems vindicated. PSG have developed into some of the cohesive and tactically disciplined sides in Europe this season.
PSG (130 targets) are the second-highest scorers throughout Europe’s high 5 leagues in all competitions, behind Barcelona (160), whereas solely Bayern Munich (67.99%) have averaged extra possession than Luis Enrique’s staff (67.48%).
PSG additionally went 30 video games unbeaten in Ligue 1 this season, setting a brand new membership report within the course of, and falling simply in need of the general report, set by Nantes (32) in 1994-95.
Central to their resurgence has been an emphasis on urgent as a unit and sustaining steadiness between assault and defence. The transformation is most evident within the midfield, as soon as seen as a relative weak point, now working with precision and management in opposition to among the continent’s elite.
Luis Enrique’s dedication to the collective has additionally signalled a broader cultural shift inside PSG. The membership’s earlier reliance on particular person stardom, an indicator of the Qatar Sports activities Investments period, has been changed by a system wherein each participant’s position is clearly outlined inside a wider tactical framework.
The likes of Ibrahimovic, Neymar, and Messi might have delivered memorable moments in Paris, however beneath Luis Enrique’s stewardship, the times of tailoring a staff round a single celebrity look like over.
Notably, Luis Enrique foreshadowed this evolution final yr, revealing in post-match interviews that his focus was already on constructing a facet for the next season. That long-term imaginative and prescient is now bearing fruit.
Sarcastically, from this resolutely collective strategy, PSG might but produce the subsequent Ballon d’Or winner.
Ousmane Dembele, rejuvenated beneath Enrique and thriving in a system constructed on teamwork and tactical self-discipline, has emerged as an outdoor contender for soccer’s most coveted particular person honour, the Ballon d’Or, a becoming paradox for a membership present process its quiet revolution.
Dembele, whose purpose proved decisive within the first leg in opposition to Arsenal final week, has netted 33 occasions in all competitions this time period.
With the Ligue 1 title already secured and a Coupe de France closing coming later this month, PSG are within the hunt for a treble.
Opta’s supercomputer ranks their possibilities of progressing to the Champions League closing at 80%, and based on the mannequin, PSG are the general favourites to win the entire, having carried out so in 42% of the simulations.
