As Paris Saint-Germain finally secured their long-coveted first Champions League title, Luis Enrique found the crowning moment of his coaching career laced with poignant emotion. Amidst the celebration of a 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan, his thoughts were with his late daughter, Xana, who passed away six years ago from osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, at just nine years old.
The moment of triumph turned deeply personal when PSG fans unveiled a touching tifo showing Luis Enrique with Xana, echoing a memory from 2015 when he celebrated a Champions League victory with Barcelona by planting a flag in the pitch beside her. The gesture left the coach visibly moved, underscoring that beneath the professional achievement lay a father’s enduring grief and love. “It was very emotional with the banner from the fans for my family,” he reflected. “But I always think about my daughter.”
On the pitch, PSG were ruthless. A dream long nurtured by the club’s ambitious Qatari owners became reality with a dominant performance that overwhelmed Inter from the first whistle. Two goals inside the opening 20 minutes set the tone, and they continued pressing forward, refusing to sit back even with the result seemingly secured. The emphatic nature of the win symbolised not just victory but vindication for the club, for Enrique, and for the vision that has been years in the making.
One of the standout performers was 19-year-old winger Désiré Doué, who opened the scoring and added a second in the latter stages. The teenager’s display on the biggest stage of European club football confirmed his arrival among the elite. His pace, composure, and clinical finishing helped dismantle Inter’s defense, and his joy after the final whistle reflected the magnitude of the night. “I can’t believe what happened,” he said. “We made history for the club, in French football, in European football. We’re a great team, and we showed it.”
Luis Enrique was full of praise for his squad, describing their hunger and determination as crucial to the victory. “Since day one, I said I wanted to win important trophies,” he said. “Paris had never won the Champions League. We did it for the first time. It’s a great feeling to make many people happy.”
The win capped a remarkable European campaign for PSG, one in which they found balance, defensive discipline, and attacking flair. This performance was perhaps the most complete of the season, and it came when it mattered most. Their relentlessness from the outset reflected a team aware of the significance of the occasion and eager to finally bury the ghosts of previous disappointments.
On the other side, Inter were left to lick their wounds after a chastening evening. Manager Simone Inzaghi admitted the defeat hurt but remained defiant about his side’s prospects. “This hurts,” he said. “Of course the game wasn’t good enough on our part.” Still, he maintained belief in the squad’s character. “We can come out stronger from this defeat, like we did in 2023 and then won the league the following season.”
For PSG, this was more than just a football match. It was the culmination of years of investment, ambition, and heartbreak. For Luis Enrique, it was a moment to remember and honour a daughter who remains ever-present in his heart.
