Why PSG can retain the Champions League title

PSG has spent billions on players before the 2024/2025 season, with the likes of Ezequiel Lavezzi, Edinson Cavani, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic among other players arriving at the club just to help them win the Champions League.

That set of players failed, and the Parisians signed the likes of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi, yet they could not win the competition.

Their compensation was that they dominated the French Ligue 1 and won several titles in the competition for years.

They were rewarded with becoming the dominant club in the country and making some impressions in the Champions League as well, but the reason for their huge investments was that they wanted to be champions of Europe.

It seemed that would happen in 2020, three years after Neymar and Mbappe arrived at the club as they reached the final of the Covid-ravaged Champions League.

However, the Parisians faced a Bayern Munich side that was also in superb form, and the Germans won a close contest.

It was heartbreaking for PSG, who had been confident that it was their year, leaving Neymar in tears.

Over the last few seasons, fans who buy PSG tickets watched as their team dominated Ligue 1 and signed some of the world’s best players like Messi, yet they could not even reach another UCL final.

After seven seasons in Paris, Mbappe became a free agent and moved to Real Madrid in the summer of 2024.

That move was expected to be the end of the world for PSG, and those who bought Real Madrid tickets now had arguably the best player in the world.

Mbappe’s time in Paris was a great one, and he helped them to remain competitive in several tournaments, so we expected them to struggle in his absence.

He has been the difference maker for much of his seasons at the club, so it seemed this term was a time for another French club to topple PSG.

However, they have one of the best managers in the world in Luis Enrique, who vowed to improve the team in Mbappe's absence.

It seemed like he was making an empty boast at the time, but he has done just that and transformed the team into European champions, 10 years after he won the Champions League as Barcelona's manager.

PSG is one of the clubs with a point to prove at the Club World Cup, but the Parisians could retain the Champions League for the next few seasons. Here is why:

Young players

After many years of splashing cash on established players in a bid to bring quick success to Paris and win the Champions League, PSG has changed strategy.

With Luis Campos at the helm, the club has focused on signing young players with a hunger for success and unlimited potential.

PSG was a team with too many egos for the coach to manage, but within three seasons, they got rid of the likes of Neymar, Messi, and Mbappe while bringing in superb replacements like Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, among other top players.

It was a major shift in strategy that shows the club's leaders know what they are doing. They won the Champions League with an average age of 23.9.

This is remarkable, and it also shows that they could just be at the start of their dominance in European football.

When PSG defeated Liverpool in the round of 16, we began to notice their team's incredible balance.

Enrique’s men outplayed the best team in England over two legs and won the tie on penalties at Anfield, a place where most opponents are crushed on European nights.

PSG showed incredible stamina and balance in that fixture and delivered one of the best performances by any team we have seen.

Their reward was a game against Aston Villa in the quarterfinal and they defeated the Villans before eliminating Arsenal in the semifinal of the competition.

We still did not give them much of a chance in the final against Inter Milan, but they won, and it was partly because of the youthfulness of their players.

Fantastic coach

PSG has been managed by Carlo Ancelotti, Laurent Blanc, Unai Emery, and Thomas Tuchel before now.

These are world-class managers, some of whom have even won the Champions League before or after arriving at the club.

However, none of them won the UCL for them, the closest being Tuchel, who reached the final of the competition in 2020.

That year could have been PSG’s year, but they failed to win it as a brilliant Bayern Munich team won the competition.

However, since Enrique arrived at the club in 2023, he has gradually made them a better team, and they were very good competitors in the Champions League.

Last term, they reached the semifinals of the competition, and after beating Barcelona in the quarterfinals, it seemed they would be champions.

However, they lost to Borussia Dortmund in the semifinal and were knocked out before the final again.

In the games against Barcelona, we could tell that PSG was a good team, and Enrique deserves credit for the way he has developed the team.

He has also done wonders since Mbappe's departure. He has rebuilt the team, and they are now European champions.

PSG has many talented players, but without Enrique, they would not have been European champions.

Impressive recruiting and scouting

Over the last few seasons, PSG has done well recruiting top players into its squad and has changed tactics multiple times.

They smoothly went from signing experienced players and the best players around to investing in young talents with huge potential who are hungry for success.

This created a squad that is keen to impress in matches, and it also created the right balance for them whenever they play.

Over the last few seasons, PSG has signed Vitinha, Joao Neves, Nuno Mendes, Willian Pacho, and Lucas Beraldo, among others.

Some have made less impact, but their European success this season finds its root in an impressive scouting and recruiting network.