Luis Enrique confirms he will rest at least seven Paris Saint-Germain players to focus everything on the Champions League Final against Inter, insisting ‘we deserve to win’ the trophy.
They will go head-to-head with the Nerazzurri for the silverware in Munich on May 31 after eliminating Arsenal 3-1 on aggregate in the semi-final.
Unlike Inter, PSG have no other distractions to worry about in the build-up to that battle, because they already won Ligue 1 with plenty of time to spare and can therefore rest numerous stars ahead of the Coupe de France Final against Stade Reims on May 24.
“We are very proud of what we have achieved,” said the coach in his press conference.
“We played very well throughout the year and showed mental strength. We respect our opponents, but the moment has come to give space to the younger players too.
“We have defined a plan based on minutes played and journeys, so we must balance everything to reach the two Finals in the best possible shape.
“Every player has his own personalised schedule, as we want to reach these games with fresh legs and minds,” assured Luis Enrique.
That starts this weekend, leaving Gianluigi Donnarumma, Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, Willian Pacho, Fabian Ruiz and Vitinha out, so they can resume training with the squad on Wednesday May 14.
Luis Enrique admits Inter have more experience
This is Inter’s second Champions League Final in the last three years, having narrowly lost 1-0 to Manchester City in Istanbul in the summer of 2023.
As for Paris Saint-Germain, it is only their second ever Final after losing to Bayern Munich in 2020, a fixture played during lockdown, and therefore a very different experience for the supporters.
“It will be the first Final that the PSG fans can attend. We deserve to win this Final, because we waited so long,” added Luis Enrique.
“I know the club was only founded in 1970, which is also the year I was born, but we hope this bond with the fans can help us to win the Champions League. We must be wary, though, as Inter are accustomed to playing Finals and were in it only two years ago.”
More must-reads: