Enrique: Ten years back at the top of Europe, the name of a champion father

Written by Han Bing 5-0, the Allianz Arena in Munich witnessed the largest score difference in the final of the Champions League in 70 years; 2.284 billion euros, the Qatari royal family finally tasted what they wanted after 14 years of becoming the owner of Paris Saint-Germain; 3,647 days is the long years that Enrique has gone through to return to Germany to reach the top of Europe again - ten years is too long, so long that he is forever separated from his beloved daughter Xana, who waved the Barcelona flag at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin; Ten years later, when he led a young team without MSN to lift the Champions League trophy, his little angel had already "changed" into the Paris shirt, in the stands, in front of his chest......

10 years ago, when he led MSN-led Barça, who is still in the team, to conquer Europe, Enrique was ridiculed as a champion coach who "stands on the shoulders of giants". Enrique was on the verge of sacrificing in the middle of the season due to a conflict with Messi, and it was Xavi who mediated and persuaded the coach to abandon his past suspicions on the grounds of his farewell season. But the glory of that Champions League trophy was shared more by superstars, Enrique as a coach was ignored by the media and fans, and even when Xavi retreated bravely and when Barcelona no longer regained the style of king under his rule, the outside world questioned Enrique's coaching ability intensified.

The stubborn Enrique was not knocked down by the doubts, but the death of his beloved daughter made him lose his luster for a while.

In August 2019, at the age of 9, Xana died of bone cancer after battling the disease for five months - during which Enrique chose to resign because he could not devote himself to the work of the Spanish national team coach due to the care of his daughter, and after returning in November of the same year, he blamed the temporary replacement of his subordinate Moreno. Enrique led the Spanish team to Euro 2021 and the 2022 World Cup, and because there were no Real Madrid players in the 26-man European Championship squad, it caused a controversy of "anti-Real Madrid consciousness".

Even when he fell out with the departing Kylian Mbappe last season, few were optimistic that the hot-tempered Spaniard could bring any change to the big Paris, which had lost the superstar buff altogether. The nightmare performance of losing 5 consecutive games to Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, and Bayern in the first 5 games of this season's Champions League has made the criticism of "Enrique will only rely on MSN" very loud, coupled with the lack of temperament of Paris who have spent money but has always lacked tough performance in the past 14 years, the Qatari royal family's Mingjin withdrawal has been put into the established script of major media.

But all the doubts, after this 5-0 night at the Allianz Arena, were silenced by Enrique himself and the young Parisians he coached.

Enrique would like to thank Dembele, a "frustrated" who also came to Paris from Barcelona, whose "Golden Ball" performance of 33 goals and 15 assists in 49 games this season makes people forget the troubled teenager who was addicted to video games at Barcelona and had an ebb and bustling state.

But the French striker, who was muddled and squandered under the aura of MNM, owes Enrique even more so that it was the Spanish coach who pushed him from the wing to the front as a false nine, freeing him from the more vulnerable dribbling and passing of the wings, which allowed him to shine again. Grand Paris used the high-pressure pressing method of all frontcourt members to create space for Dembele as much as possible. At the same time, Dembele will also moderate his return to defense and interact more with his teammates. Enrique's emphasis on a simple and straightforward approach has both reduced the probability of injuries to Dembele and improved his efficiency in front of goal.

As for the Champions League final MVP winner, Douai, who is also the cornerstone of the team's iteration with sports director Campos and Enrique. Enrique's insistence on a younger and more French team philosophy gave Douai more time and opportunities. Enrique put him in competition with Balcora for the post, and the fighting spirit among the young people activated Douai's potential. With 15 goals and 14 assists in the season, he not only squeezed the originally more famous Barcola to the bench, but also made him the biggest favorite for the European Golden Boy Award. Douai's idol was Mbappe, but Enrique allowed Grand Paris to invest only 1/3 of the transfer fee to get the achievement of surpassing Mbappe at club level. And if he can win the Ballon d'Or and the European Golden Boy double award, Enrique's big Paris will be the big winner of the Grand Slam from the team to the individual this season.

For Grand Paris, isn't this a justification? 5-0, the Allianz Arena in Munich witnessed the final with the largest score gap in 70 years of the Champions League, and Paris Saint-Germain even led 2-0 in the first 20 minutes, which was unprecedented. After 14 years in Paris, the Qatari royal family has finally achieved its original dream. Paris has spent a total of 2.284 billion euros on the market, which is the most expensive title in the history of the Champions League. Grand Paris, which won the Champions League trophy, has really entered the top clubs.

Enrique transformed Paris from a "fashionable team" into a true football king, ending the "shining era" of hoarding superstars and reborn the French giants from the ashes of their self-indulgence. The average age of the starting line-up in Paris is only 25 years and 96 days, more than five years younger than Inter. Of the 11 and 5 substitutes in the final, only the captain of the central defender, Marquinhos, was over 30 years old, nine were under the age of 25, Douai with two shots and one pass, and Mayuglu, who scored from the bench, were both only 19 years old. Kvaratskhelia, the most valuable player in the team, is only 80 million, relying on a group of quasi-first-line superstars from 8 countries worth 30 million to 60 million, Enrique proved that leaving MSN and Habaib, he can also bring out the Champions League champions.

Neymar's diamond earrings are no longer the label of the French giants, but are replaced by something more valuable: a mercury-like attack, a younger, more French and more ornamental style of football – the change Enrique brought to Paris is to bid farewell to the star-studded past of the French giants with the Champions League trophy and welcome the future full of hope in the stadium.

If the plot is reversed, Enrique will still be nothing more than a "mediocre coach who has been favored by Lady Luck", and Inzaghi Jr. will reproduce a legendary story of leading Inter Milan's old boys to the Champions League counterattack. But the reason why football is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people is often not only because of the 90 minutes of enthusiasm on the field, but also after this Champions League final that goes down in history, what is more talked about by the outside world is a father's thoughts about his daughter.

Before the race, Enrique said many times that he won the championship as a tribute to his beloved daughter: "My daughter loves to party and I'm sure she's enjoying it just as much as she did 10 years ago. Her body is not in Munich, but her spirit is here, which is important to me. ”

On the night of the Champions League final at the Allianz Arena in Munich, a huge Tifo was spread out in the stands of the big Parisian fans, showing the classic "flag" photo of Enrique and his beloved daughter Shana after the 2015 Champions League final. At the Olympic Stadium in Berlin that year, Enrique, who led Barcelona to win the treble, planted a Barcelona flag in the center of the stadium and celebrated with his 5-year-old daughter, which became the most classic warm frame in the history of the Champions League. Enrique, who got his wish at the Allianz Arena, took off his jacket and wore the same cartoon illustration of a "classic photo" on his black T-shirt – only this time, the flag he planted was also replaced by Grand Paris.

"I consider myself lucky, very lucky. People say, "But you've lost a nine-year-old daughter...... Yes, but my daughter has had nine wonderful years with us. In the documentary released by Movistar Plus+ at the end of '24, Enrique revealed his true feelings in front of the interview camera.

"I don't need a win or a defeat to feel her, I can sense her presence at all times." Of course, a father's thoughts about his daughter don't need championship proof, but when he lifts the Champions League trophy again, the cartoon illustration on his chest and the Tifo in the stands will become an additional memory of his daughter, "We talk about her every day and laugh when we remember her, I know she looks at us every day. ”

Shana little angel, did you see that?