Paris Saint-Germain bid farewell to the Champions League this week, but head coach Luis Enrique and club president Nasser al-Khelaifi remained optimistic.
Enrique commended his Paris Saint-Germain squad despite their elimination from the Champions League by Borussia Dortmund in the semi-finals.
The Ligue 1 champions were ousted with a 2-0 aggregate score against the Bundesliga giants, unfortunate as they struck the woodwork six times in both legs, totaling to 14 throughout the campaign, with 31 attempts at Parc des Princes.
Although PSG missed an opportunity to secure their second Champions League final appearance, the season portrayed a transition under a new coach.
Having already secured the Ligue 1 title with three games to spare, a Coupe de France final against Lyon awaits them later in the month.
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Enrique mentioned, “The two legs did not show our inferiority, but football rewards those who score, not those who hit the woodwork. I aimed to compete for all titles, and tonight, I’m proud of my team and players.”
Having lost all six legs of their last three two-legged Champions League semi-finals, including defeats against Milan in 1995 and Manchester City in 2021, PSG reached the final only to lose to Bayern Munich in 2020 after a one-off semi-final win against RB Leipzig due to disruptions caused by COVID-19.
The season started with a shift, as new coach Luis Enrique managed the team without Lionel Messi and Neymar, with club president Nasser al-Khelaifi emphasizing teamwork over individual talent.
Despite not always dazzling, PSG displayed an organized strategy, prompting the coach to focus on constructing a team beyond just Kylian Mbappe, who is rumored to leave at the end of this season.
Al-Khelaifi expressed, “The team and coach gave their maximum effort. Kudos to Dortmund; we deserved more. It’s a challenging sport. I’m proud of my team, the youngest in Europe. Despite reaching the semi-finals three times in five years, our goal is still the final. Soccer is unpredictable, and we have to acknowledge that sometimes it’s unjust. It’s part of the game, and we’ll embrace it.”