Paris Saint-Germain lost their final Ligue 1 match of the season 2-1 to Paris FC on May 18, despite having already secured their fifth straight league title [1, 2]. The defeat prompted strong criticism from PSG manager Luis Enrique, who said he had "nothing positive to say about this match" [1].
Enrique expressed disappointment with the team’s lack of ambition and intensity in the game. "When you play football without ambition or intensity, this is the sort of thing you’d expect to see. I knew before the match how difficult it would be to play this sort of game with no objective, but I’m a bit disappointed," he said [1]. He called on his players to "overcome difficult matches and stay motivated" [1].
The coach noted the final part of the season was more complicated without secondary objectives like last year’s French Cup final, describing it as "very motivating for us" [1]. He stressed the importance of refocusing ahead of PSG’s next game, the Champions League final against Arsenal on May 30 [1, 2].
Luis Enrique said he hoped there would be "no need to motivate the players" by the day of what he called "the most important match in our history" [1]. The Champions League final will be PSG’s first since 2020 and offers a chance to win Europe’s top club trophy [1].
The team’s lackluster display against Paris FC underlined challenges managing motivation after securing domestic success early. However, Enrique’s comments suggest a firm expectation that the squad will raise their intensity for their biggest test yet in Europe.
PSG now have two weeks to prepare ahead of their May 30 meeting with Arsenal in the Champions League final, where the focus will be on delivering a strong performance on the continental stage [1, 2].