Luis Enrique confirms Premier League job offer before winning Champions League with PSG

Luis Enrique led Paris Saint-Germain to their first ever Champions League success last season but in another world he might have been managing in the Premier League

Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique says Tottenham Hotspur approached him with a view to appointing him as manager in 2023. His comments come as PSG prepare to take on Spurs in the UEFA Super Cup after both won European trophies last term.

The Spanish coach moved to PSG in 2023, winning the Champions League in his second season with the club. However, Spurs had him on their shortlist to replace Antonio Conte before eventually appointing Ange Postecoglou.

“There were some options in the last six months before I came to Paris and Tottenham was one of them,” Luis Enrique said. He had also been linked with Manchester United before leaving his post as Spain manager in 2022, but the timings weren’t quite right.

Ironically., United could well have ended up as PSG’s opponents in Udine on Wednesday night. They faced Spurs in the Europa League final back in May, but fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat in what ended up being Postecoglou’s final game in charge.

PSG found things a great deal easier in their own European final against Inter Milan. They were 2-0 up inside 20 minutes and eventually ran out 5-0 victors to win the Champions League for the first time.

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PSG followed their Champions League triumph with a run to the final of the Club World Cup, losing to Chelsea. Now, though, they have a chance to begin the new season by getting their hands on more silverware.

“I am very proud and very happy to be here, to have the opportunity to win another trophy,” captain Marquinhos said. “It’s going to be very difficult, we only resumed training a week ago, whereas Tottenham are much better prepared. But even if we’re not yet at 100%, I know we’ll give it our all tomorrow to try and get the result we want.

“I’m still hungry: I want to achieve things, help the younger players, motivate them, and make sure they move forward. We also have a coach who will continue to motivate and push us. That’s how we’ll put ourselves in the best possible position tomorrow to approach this match.”

In the lead-up to the match, PSG completed two big signings. Lucas Chevalier has joined from Lille, prompting questions about the future of last season’s first-choice goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, while centre-back Illia Zabarnyi has joined from Bournemouth in a deal worth up to £57million.

“For me, Paris Saint-Germain is the best club in the world and the best project for my future,” Zabarnyi said in his first interview as a PSG player.”I think this was the best possible choice, and I’m here to give everything on the pitch. It’s as simple as that.

“I felt as though people wanted me to come here, and honestly, that really motivated me to do so as soon as possible! In the end, that’s what happened. This is a new experience for me, and it’s amazing. I’m still young, so I need to try new things, which is why I think that this was the right decision.”

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