Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has stressed that the club’s recent surge to European glory is rooted in a collective team ethic rather than reliance on individual stars. Speaking ahead of PSG’s 2025 Club World Cup final against Chelsea, Enrique outlined how his transformation of the squad into a younger, high-energy group grounded in total‑football principles has brought unprecedented success.
Enrique has overseen a significant overhaul at PSG. He has overseen the departures of marquee names such as Neymar, Lionel Messi, and Kylian Mbappé and brought in promising talent—including Ousmane Dembélé, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Bradley Barcola, and Désiré Doué—to build a more balanced and dynamic team. The result: PSG clinched their first UEFA Champions League title with a devastating 5‑0 win over Inter Milan in the final and are now pursuing a Club World Cup in what could be a historic quadruple season.
Enrique repeatedly plays down his own role in the success, insisting that the “real star” is the entire squad. “We have to be a team with eleven stars, not just one or two. Not even eleven, maybe thirteen, fifteen stars… The real star should be the entire team,” he said, emphasising that criticism, rather than praise, keeps the group grounded and motivated.
A core pillar of Enrique’s success is tactical flexibility. He has installed a pressing unit that functions in unison, with players capable of operating across multiple roles depending on in‑game demands. Vitinha has transitioned to a deep‑lying playmaker role to improve PSG’s control in midfield, while defenders such as Marquinhos and Lucas Hernández have been deployed in different positions to maintain defensive stability against elite opponents. Kvaratskhelia’s versatility to shift between attack and defense adds unpredictability that fits the collective gameplan.
The squad’s stamina, adaptability, and unity were crucial in several key moments, including a comeback win at Anfield in the Champions League round of 16 and dominant performances in domestic and European finals . Ousmane Dembélé emerged as PSG’s top scorer (35 goals across competitions), while Désiré Doué, at just 19, delivered standout performances—including two goals and an assist in the Champions League final—and earned Young Player of the Year honours. His evolution reflects PSG’s broader theme: individual brilliance emerging within a collective framework.
Enrique credits his players’ shared commitment and resilience. He has instilled discipline in a club long defined by egos, revamping PSG’s highly paid squad into a unit where every participant—from starters to squad players—understands their role and value. This culture shift has transformed PSG’s identity. “No one head sticking out,” he declared on arrival, underscoring his intention to end the era of superstar dominance and build a real team-first culture.
His philosophy also filters down into training, selection and squad rotation. Minutes are allocated based on performance and attitude; fringe players are trusted and challenged to contribute. This approach fosters internal competition, ensures freshness through congested schedules, and builds trust among all players—a key ingredient in maintaining consistency across multiple competitions .
Enrique has not shied away from admitting that some of PSG’s best performances came under pressure and criticism. He maintains that his best seasons were not necessarily those where results were perfect, but those during which learning and adaptation occurred. He prefers criticism, which he says encourages humility and resilience—qualities that he believes have made PSG stronger than ever .
Praised even by football legends such as Jay-Jay Okocha, who highlighted how Enrique reaffirmed that “football is a team sport,” PSG’s collective approach now stands as a reference for modern club building. Okocha’s assessment—that individual talent must serve the team—mirrors Enrique’s philosophy perfectly.
All of this sets the stage for the Club World Cup final, where PSG aim to cap their historic season. Enrique’s message is clear: regardless of names or reputations, success belongs to the collective effort. While the likes of Dembélé and Doué have shone, their performances are celebrated as part of a broader tapestry rather than as standalone heroics .
In essence, PSG’s transformation under Luis Enrique represents a case study in how world-class performance can emerge when disciplined structure, tactical intelligence, and unity supplant star power. His model challenges a club culture once defined by individual names—now replaced by a team-first mindset that may redefine PSG’s identity for years to come.
