L'Équipe Highlights PSG's Champions League Triumph Over Arsenal

Luis Enrique's appointment and the departure of star players has once again proven to be a successful strategy for Paris Saint-Germain. This was emphasized by Emmanuel Pétit in the aftermath of the Champions League final against Arsenal, which triggered a somewhat painful comparison for the Gunners. On social media, local rivals Chelsea appeared to take a jab at Arsenal by sharing a link to their trophy cabinet shortly after Gabriel Magalhães missed a penalty. Meanwhile, the French sports newspaper L'Équipe added extra salt to the wound by dubbing PSG as Les Invincibles. This is, of course, a reference to the well-known nickname of Arsène Wenger's Arsenal, which went unbeaten in the 2003/04 season in England. L'Équipe's front page alluded to the fact that PSG has not lost a match since the knockout stage of the Champions League began. Even in the final in Budapest, the team led by Luis Enrique proved unbeatable. Arsenal rarely loses under Mikel Arteta after taking a 1-0 lead at halftime, but ultimately succumbed to PSG in a penalty shootout. This victory grants the French champions a legendary status, as noted by Le Parisien, which stated, "It would never just be one." Since the introduction of the Champions League in 1992, Real Madrid was the only team to defend the title until now. For over two decades, that has seemed a utopia. Luis Enrique’s success with PSG has sparked euphoric headlines in Spain, where sports newspapers are rightfully focusing on the Spanish coach's achievement, who also won a treble with Barcelona in 2015. With three Champions League titles, he now stands alongside Pep Guardiola and Zinédine Zidane. French ex-international Pétit, who won the double with Arsenal in 1998 and was a European and World Champion with France, reiterated on RMC Sport that PSG made the right decision in parting ways with Neymar and Kylian Mbappé, opting for a coach capable of building a top team in Luis Enrique. "Since they rid themselves of all egos, this team looks liberated. That is Luis Enrique's achievement. But bring back those misplaced egos, and the machine will collapse again." Thierry Henry also praised Luis Enrique, recalling an old quote from the PSG coach in an interview with CBS Sports. "When Mbappé left, you said your team would be better as a unit. You proved it. That confidence is sometimes mistaken for arrogance, but you know exactly where your team stands. What you are doing for French football is remarkable. We haven’t seen a team in Europe with so much confidence since the nineties."

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