‘we Didn’t Put The Brakes On’: Luis Enrique Denies Psg Spared Real Madrid

On nan day that Paris Saint-Germain reached nan last of nan Club World Cup, placing them 90 minutes distant from winning each trophy disposable this season, Luis Enrique underlined really acold they had travel by recalling: “In January, group said we didn’t person leaders and didn’t people goals.” Since past they person scored much than 100 and won their first ever Champions convention pinch a 5-0 triumph against Inter successful nan final. Here they put 4 past Real Madrid pinch a show truthful ascendant that he had to contradict that they had taken their ft disconnected nan gas.

In doing so, however, nan PSG caput coach did uncover that he had made changes pinch Sunday’s last against Chelsea successful mind. PSG were 2 goals up wrong 10 minutes and had made it 3-0 earlier they had played half an hour, nan crippled efficaciously over, earlier Gonçalo Ramos added a 4th successful nan dying minutes.

The 2nd half had been played retired astatine a reduced gait and PSG made a bid of substitutions involving cardinal players pinch Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Fabián Ruiz, Nuno Mendes, Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué each removed. At times it felt for illustration nan only point that prevented them from scoring much was that they did not request to and location was nary desire to support tearing into their opponents.

“My telephone is afloat of messages from Barcelona fans, which tells you astir really large this crippled was,” Luis Enrique said. “You spell astatine 100% for everything this garment represents and we cognize what Real Madrid are, what they were and what they will ever be, really awesome they are. We didn’t put nan brakes connected but of people pinch nan heat, pinch nan last successful 3 days’ time, pinch cramp and nan consequence of tiredness, you act. The first point is nan objective, which is to scope nan last and compete. But astatine nary constituent do you put nan brakes on.”

Luis Enrique soaks up nan acclaim aft nan match. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

“This was an nonsubjective from nan start,” nan PSG caput coach added. “And now we are conscionable 1 crippled distant from building PSG’s history, and winning each nan trophies we person participated successful this season. It intends a batch for us, for our fans and it is simply a pleasance to activity astatine this club. We person scored 100-plus goals and we fto successful very few. These players are exceptional.” Asked for nan key, Luis Enrique said: “The insuperable play of my players and their generosity, nan measurement they springiness everything astatine nan work of nan team.”

Xabi Alonso insisted nan conclusion “hurt” but that he had learnt a batch complete nan six games he has been successful complaint of Real Madrid astatine this Club World Cup. “I time off present pinch tons of certainties, and adjacent twelvemonth will beryllium different,” he said. “There are affirmative things and we time off present arsenic a amended squad moreover if it is difficult to opportunity that correct now. This crippled and this title has told maine tons of things astir what we are, what we request to improve, nan changes location will be. These were nan past crippled of 2024-25, not nan first games of 2025-26.”