28/05/2026

SPORTS THURSDAY | MAY 28, 2026

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Enrique eyes greatness Back-to-back Champions League glory in sight for PSG

MIKEL ARTETA had barely wiped away the tears of joy that followed Arsenal’s Premier League trophy presentation before he chal lenged his players to make more history by winning the Champions League. Arteta’s side finally got their hands on the Premier League silverware in an emotional scene following Sunday’s 2-1 win against Crystal Palace. Arsenal’s joyous celebrations lasted for almost two hours before Arteta headed for his post-match press conference clad in a Gunners shirt with “26 Champions” on the back. A gold medal around his neck, Arteta told reporters: “It is very difficult to put it into words. What a moment. A lot of emotions, a lot of joy, pride. “The manner that we’ve done it, repre sents what the guys are feeling and the rea son why this magic happened. “I’m happy and relieved. Obviously, throughout this journey, we have made some massive steps. We have accomplished a lot of things that have a lot of value. “But at the end of the day, we are here to win major trophies. That was the ultimate goal. We came very close. “We fell short on three occasions, and that was very painful. But I think that’s what has driven all of us to find new ways to show what we are made of and that’s why I said that the manner that we’ve done it, it makes it even better.” Next on the list for Arteta is winning the Champions League for the first time in Arsenal’s history. They face Paris Saint-Germain in the final in Budapest on Saturday in what will be only the Gunners’ second Arteta urges Arsenal to make history

I F Paris Saint-Germain’s maiden triumph last year allowed the French club to break their Champions League hoodoo, winning the title again this season would allow them to be remembered as one of Europe’s all-time great teams. Twelve months after crushing Inter Milan 5-0 in Munich to take the trophy with the biggest win in the final in European Cup history, PSG head to Budapest to face Premier League champions Arsenal. Stopping Luis Enrique’s thrilling PSG side has proven impossible for everyone over the last 18 months, from Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City to Bayern Munich in their recent semifinal clash. Arsenal tried, and failed, in last season’s semis, and the Parisians are the favourites to retain their title this time.

ously and have won admirers for the breathtaking football played by an exciting young team, built with the transfer market nous of their “football advisor” Luis Campos and coached by Luis Enrique. “He is a top-class coach with clear ideas. He is full of energy. He is exceptional and we hope he will stay for a very long time,” said Ousmane Dembele. The France forward has been transformed from dazzling but often wasteful winger into a prolific striker. He scored 35 times last season and won the Ballon d’Or . This season his minutes have been carefully managed amid numerous fitness scares, but he has still scored 19 goals and set up 11 more in just 24 starts. Dembele, at 29, is the fourth-oldest player in the squad, behind only Fabian Ruiz, Lucas Hernandez (both 30) and 32-year-old captain Marquinhos. The youthful energy all over the team allows them to play with a terrifying intensity that has blown away most opponents. Things might not be so easy against Arsenal but PSG have already reached three consecutive semifinals under Luis Enrique. Before his arrival they had got to the semis three times in their his tory. Getting to consecutive Champions League finals is incredibly hard, but retaining the title is almost impossible. Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid side that won three on the bounce from 2016-18 is the only side to have gone back-to-back in the modern Champions League era – before them you have to go back to Arrigo Sacchi’s AC Milan in 1989 and 1990. Within a French context, the country had only ever produced one Champions League winner before last season, with Marseille in 1993. This is not a fairytale story for a club backed by the wealth of Qatar and with the fourth-highest revenue in world football last year according to the Deloitte Football Money League, behind only Real, Barcelona and Bayern. But it shows they did the right thing in abandoning the old super star project, even if plenty of their current squad – Dembele, Kvaratskhelia, Vitinha, Achraf Hakimi – should really be considered as superstars. The true superstar now is the coach, and Luis Enrique can become just the fifth manager to win three European Cups after Carlo Ancelotti, Bob Paisley, Zidane and Guardiola. “When I came to the club I said my objective was to make history,” he told UEFA.com. “We want to keep writing his tory because we feel there are still things to be achieved.” – AFP

“We understand that we are the reigning champions and we can win again,” Khvicha Kvaratskhelia said in an interview with UEFA . “Of course this will be difficult, but we’ve proved once more that we can beat any team as long as we play our way and give our all on the pitch,” added the Georgian winger, surely the best player in this season’s Champions League with seven goals and three assists in the knockout rounds. When Luis Enrique, a Champions League win ner with Barcelona in 2015, arrived in 2023, PSG were transitioning away from the era of splashing vast sums on superstar players. Lionel Messi and Neymar left that same sum mer, ending underwhelming spells in the French capital. Kylian Mbappe departed a year later. PSG had been completely transformed since the Qatari takeover of the club in 2011 but – one run to the final in 2020 and a

semifinal in 2021 apart – they had become associated with frequent disappointment in the Champions League, and occa sional humiliation. Luis Enrique has overseen a radical change, completely alter ing perceptions of the club. PSG were almost once seen as a little bit of a joke in Europe due to their enormous spending and lack of continental success. Now they are taken very ser i

Champions League show piece after their 2006 loss to Barcelona. Arteta believes Arsenal can beat holders PSG, who defeated them in the semifinals last season, if they use the positive vibes from the title triumph as motivation. “We need that energy to flow, and going against that, will be a big mistake,” he said. “We talked already about what we have to do in Budapest, how we’re going to use all the incredible energy that we’re all carrying towards that final. And tomorrow we’re going to start to prepare for it. “We can’t wait to write a new chapter in the history of our club and lift the Champions League.” – AFP

PSG manager Luis Enrique (left) and winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. – REUTERSPIC

Pressure on Gunners: Madueke

Ű BY PHILIP DUNCAN

Cup. Arsenal won the title against the backdrop of claims they were “bottling” the League, having finished second for the past three seasons, and then losing to rivals City last month. But when asked if their title triumph allows the players to “stick two fingers up” at their critics, a smiling Madueke replied: “At the end of the day, all that stuff is irrelevant. “I don’t think we worry about it too much. “We’ve got to handle things on the pitch, and we leave the bragging rights to the fans.” – The Independent

Champions League is so big, so to be able to do that for the first time in the history of the club would be amazing, and to celebrate it with all the Arsenal fans would be the cherry on top.” Madueke faced criticism from a sec tion of Arsenal fans on social media before his switch to the Emirates Stadium. But the winger has enjoyed an encouraging opening season in north London – albeit largely as the support act to Bukayo Saka – scoring eight times across 42 appearances. He was also named in Thomas Tuchel’s squad for next month’s World

thinking about that. We will be thinking about getting another one, and the Premier League will be irrelevant on that night. “(The pressure) is separate. OK, the pressure of the Champions League is there, but pressure is with us all the time. This is Arsenal Football Club. One of the biggest teams in England. “The Champions League is the big one. It will be full focus and just giving our all and trying to make sure we bring that to the final as well. “And to win it would be amazing. The Premier League is massive, but the

was a “relief” to secure Arsenal’s first league triumph in more than two dec ades, and their success has sparked wild celebrations away from the pitch. However, Madueke, a £52 million (RM270m) arrival from Chelsea last sum mer, has denied suggestions that Arsenal – who have never previously won the Champions League – will be able to play without pressure against the current holders. “It is definitely better that we won the Premier League before we go into the Champions League final,” he said. “But I just don’t know if we will be

NONI MADUEKE insists the pressure remains on Arsenal ahead of Saturday’s Champions League final – and claims winning the Premier League will be “irrelevant” when they face Paris St Germain. The Gunners have faced huge expec tations to win silverware this season, and they will head to Hungary riding the crest of a wave after they saw off Manchester City to take the champion ship. Manager Mikel Arteta admitted it