PSG finally reach Champions League holy grail and have potential for dominance | OneFootball

When Marquinhos hoisted aloft the trophy that mattered more to PSG than any other, it was the culmination of a chase that had lasted more than a decade.

Since the club’s transformative takeover in 2011, the number one target for Paris Saint-Germain had been both clear and elusive.

Previously, French football had just one Champions League winner and even that triumph for Marseille was clouded in controversy given the events that followed. Qatar Sports Investment were determined to give one of Europe’s greatest cities one of the continent’s finest football teams. Now, that status is confirmed.

It has been an arduous road to European success, one that has seen PSG come close, fail, and garner little popularity. Galactico regimes saw transfer records broken and incredible individual talent assembled, but the current iteration of PSG has seen a collection of superstars evolved into a superstar collective.

The elephants in the room remain. PSG are a state-owned club who have decimated the competitive balance in France, but from a purely football perspective they’ve been a breath of fresh air this season. Even in France, the Parisians entered Saturday’s showdown with Inter with the well wishes of some neutrals.

Credit must go to Luis Enrique, who enjoys the adulation of the PSG fanbase. Their tifo at the Allianz Arena honouring the Spaniard’s late daughter, Xana, was a touching moment.

Last summer, Enrique lost Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid. The forward’s free transfer exit to Spain saw PSG’s record scorer leave but from out of Mbappe’s shadow has stepped superstars aplenty. Footage emerged last season of Enrique demanding more from Mbappe defensively, a team-first philosophy that has been evident among his replacements this season.

In Munich on Saturday, Ousmane Dembele stood in a sprinter’s stance whenever Inter prepared to take a goal-kick, ready to lead a suffocating Parisian press from the front. Elsewhere, Achraf Hakimi celebrated one recovery run more so than his opening goal. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, meanwhile, covered hard yards late on to stop an Inter counter, despite PSG’s comfortable lead.

Enrique has built a side of talent and teamwork. In almost every position on the pitch, PSG have a footballer who can claim to be among the world’s best in their role. Yet there seems to be no clashes of personality or ego.

Their final performance against Inter will reverberate around world football. Never before has there been such a one-sided decider. Inter, with the oldest average age in this season’s competition, looked like a side overawed, overpowered and outclassed. It was ecstasy for PSG, torture for their opponents. Five unanswered goals and the biggest final winning margin in the history of this competition.

The scary thing for rival sides is that this PSG team may not yet have reached its peak. The fourth-youngest squad in this season’s Champions League, only Marquinhos of the 16 players who featured in the final is over thirty.

Desire Doue became the first teenager to score twice in a Champions League final, while also adding an assist for the opener. The Frenchman turns 20 on Tuesday and will do so with a Champions League winner’s medal draped around his neck.

Signed from Rennes last summer, he is the poster boy of PSG’s new recruitment model. On the rise, exhilarating, and fearless. In just one season, he’s evolved from a Ligue 1 prospect to a big-game decider. He was not the only one to come of age.

Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich will come again. Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City too will invest heavily this summer. Next season’s Champions League should be a fascinating watch but there’s little doubt that PSG will be the team to beat again.

Nasser Al-Khelaifi’s ambition to create Europe’s best team is complete.

Read – Every record PSG broke or equalled in historic Champions League final

See more – The biggest Champions League final wins ever as PSG set new record

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