By Patric Ridge
Paris Saint-Germain 5-0 Inter.
The main takeaway here, of course, is PSG have ended their long wait for European glory.
They are deserved Champions League victors, and Luis Enrique has built Europe’s best team.
But we’ve dived a little deeper. Here’s five takeaways from last night’s mauling in Munich.
LUIS ENRIQUE THE GREAT?
Only six coaches have won the Champions League with two different clubs: Carlo Ancelotti, Ottmar Hitzfeld, Jupp Heynckes, Jose Mourinho, Pep Guardiola and, now, Luis Enrique.
Having won the Champions League as part of a treble with Barcelona a decade ago — also beating an Italian club on that occassion — Luis Enrique became just the second coach, after Guardiola, to win a treble with two different teams.
It is worth remembering, of course, that this PSG team still cost the best part of a billion Euros to assemble, but this is a club that could not win the Champions League with Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, Neymar, or before then, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, leading the line. Managers of the ilk of Ancelotti, Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino had tried and failed.
Luis Enrique’s possession obsession while he was in charge of the Spanish national team has made way for a more free-flowing approach — and that has suited this vibrant PSG team down to the ground.
He is a modern great.
DOUÉ IS SPECIAL
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