PSG: repos, match amical, “plus de charge de football”… le programme des Parisiens se dessine jusqu’à la finale de Ligue des champions
“The first thing we must do is adapt to the calendar,” stressed Luis Enrique during his press conference this past Saturday, just ahead of the concluding Ligue 1 fixture against local rivals Paris FC. Already crowned French champions, Paris Saint-Germain made the short journey to Stade Jean-Bouin on Sunday with a clear objective: to “prepare for the Champions League final” set for May 30 against Arsenal in Budapest, Hungary.
However, the reigning European champions fell short of their coach’s expectations, succumbing to a 2-1 loss. A visibly “disappointed” Luis Enrique confessed that he found “nothing positive from this match, as playing without ambition and intensity naturally leads to such outcomes.”
“A more complex season finale than usual”
The Parisian squad now faces a 12-day hiatus from competitive matches before the monumental European final. This situation marks a departure from the previous season, when they contested the Coupe de France final against Reims (a 3-0 victory) merely a week before their decisive trip to Munich and the emphatic 5-0 triumph over Inter Milan.
“This season’s conclusion is proving more intricate than what we typically experience,” the Spanish tactician revealed in his press briefing. “Last year, participating in the Coupe de France final provided significant motivation. Nevertheless, we still have two weeks to meticulously prepare for what stands as the most pivotal match in our club’s history.”
A precise schedule is now beginning to take shape. “We will incorporate everything: physical and mental recovery, followed by a friendly match” next weekend “to build up more football load,” Luis Enrique elaborated. Close attention will be paid to any initial updates regarding Ousmane Dembélé’s injury, who departed the pitch as a precaution just thirty minutes into Sunday evening’s game. Furthermore, the club is monitoring the potential full training returns of Willian Pacho, Nuno Mendes, Achraf Hakimi, and Quentin Ndjantou, all of whom resumed individual training on Saturday.
In the lead-up to last year’s final, the PSG players and staff traveled to Munich on the Friday morning preceding the match, conducting a final training session at the Allianz Arena early that evening.