I Am Scouted by Real Madrid

Chapter 931: Chapter 25: Enrique’s Eiffel Tower Era

New UEFA Champions League winner, 5:0 defeat of Inter Milan.

No one dares to underestimate Enrique and his Paris Saint-Germain, now a true powerhouse with the Champions League title.

At the FIFA Club World Cup, they displayed amazing strength, and this season, Paris Saint-Germain continues to perform excellently, which is why Mbappe became a ”joke” figure.

Because Enrique truly delivered on his promise, and after Mbappe left, the team indeed improved.

It’s not just bravado.

Enrique, at 55, is crowned in the Champions League, Paris Saint-Germain’s miraculous first title, a new era of the godfather—these are all titles for Enrique.

After the final victory, 55-year-old Luis Enrique completely let loose, rushing onto the field like a young lad, bouncing with sweat and tears intertwining.

Old fans first got to know Enrique 31 years ago at the 1994 United States World Cup, when he was severely blindsided on the field. Italy’s old hand Tassotti used a dirty trick, smashing his nose with an elbow, staining the entire field red with blood, yet Enrique gritted his teeth, wrapped up, and continued playing!

Unfortunately, in the end, the Spain Team still got stuck at the quarter-finals threshold, no matter how hard he fought, he couldn’t push the team forward another step.

Luis Enrique’s football journey is a classic tale of grassroots success.

Enrique’s coaching career after retirement began firmly, starting with Barcelona’s second team, gradually accumulating experience before moving on to Rome and Celta, achieving several smaller accomplishments.

1. Architect of the Barcelona Dynasty (2014-2017)

The 2014-15 season, Enrique centered his approach on the ”MSN combo,” transforming Messi, Suarez, and Neymar’s individual talents into a formidable system. His unique ”false nine + double-wing offense” tactics swept through Europe, becoming the first team in Spain to win the Champions League, La Liga, and King’s Cup in a single season. Notably, he also deeply developed La Masia’s youth training, with a 17-year-old Raphinha debuting under his command.

2. National Team’s Revolutionary Pain (2018-2023)

Upon leading the Spain Team, Enrique defied the critics by implementing a ”decoupling from Real Madrid” reform, boldly using new stars like Pedri and Gavi. Although surprisingly eliminated in the 2022 World Cup group stage, his creation of the ”tiki-taka 2.0” system—integrating high pressing and quick transitions—laid the foundation for the Bullfighters’ subsequent triumph in the 2024 Nations League. This period showcased his strategic resolve to persist on the path of technical revival amidst a storm of public opinion.

3. The Parisian People’s Miracle (2024-2025)

With Mbappe’s departure, Paris Saint-Germain was mocked by media as a ”luxury garage without a supercar.” Yet, Enrique turned crisis into opportunity:

Tactical aspect: Designed a ”5-3-2 flexible counter-defense” system, reinvented Dembele as a shadow forward, and activated Emery’s midfield creativity

Management art: Hung a photo of his daughter Xana in the locker room to unify the team through family emotion, players call him ”second father”

Champions League journey: From three group matches where they first conceded to come back, to semi-finals with a ”man-marking + zone-defense” tactic, shutting out Real Madrid, ultimately winning 2-1 against Manchester City in the final, with the team’s running distance setting a tournament record (118.6 km)

Enrique has excelled since taking charge of Paris Saint-Germain in 2023, significantly raising the level of many players during this period.

In his first 94 matches leading the Ligue 1 giants, four championship trophies have already been claimed, and this season, his team is highly likely to win the Champions League.

Eight players who have made leaps under his command are those Real Madrid should pay special attention to in this match.

Dembele

The 27-year-old French winger is undoubtedly playing the best of his career, primarily due to Enrique’s coaching.

With Mbappe leaving last summer, Enrique knew he had to build around a new core, and Dembele seized the opportunity to be Paris’s star player.

Whether as a winger or center forward, his performance this season has been almost unstoppable. Having scored only 6 goals in his debut season, he has now netted 29 goals in the 2024-25 season.

”Ousmane is in an extremely confident state, like a PlayStation game character with a glowing aura,” Enrique commented after Paris knocked Liverpool out of the Champions League.

If Dembele can maintain his form until the end of the season, he will be a strong contender for the Ballon d’Or.

Vitinha

Enrique praises this Portuguese midfielder as the ”perfect midfielder”: ”He is one of a kind. In ball control, he is crucial in the back as the organizational core, perfectly controlling the rhythm, never losing the ball, greatly contributing to the team.”

Vitinha, now 25, is no longer the young boy from the 2020-21 season on loan at Wolves, but his growth trajectory in recent years has been impressive.

Bakla

Under Enrique’s guidance, this 22-year-old rising star has achieved a qualitative leap in Paris. With a previous season-high output of just 7 goals, he has now scored 18 goals this season. When people worried about the firepower void after Mbappe left, Bakla answered with consistent output.

Mendes

Keeping Salah out for two consecutive Champions League games is no small feat, but the Portuguese left-back did it.

This talented young man showed potential early on, but under Enrique’s command, is displaying his best career state.

Hakimi

In terms of offense, Enrique has completely unleashed the potential of the Moroccan wing-back.