BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique described his group of players as the “best squad in the world” after advancing to the Champions League semifinals for the second straight season.
Under the Spaniard, PSG has replaced its “galacticos” like Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé with talented up-and-coming players and the change in policy appears to be paying off.
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PSG's head coach Luis Enrique, left, shakes hands with Aston Villa's head coach Unai Emery at the end of the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain at the Villa Park stadium, in Birmingham, England, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
PSG's head coach Luis Enrique shouts during the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain at the Villa Park stadium, in Birmingham, England, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
PSG's head coach Luis Enrique reacts during the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain at Villa Park stadium, Birmingham, England, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
PSG's head coach Luis Enrique waves at the end of the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain at the Villa Park stadium, in Birmingham, England, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
PSG's head coach Luis Enrique waits for the start of the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain at Villa Park stadium, Birmingham, England, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
With the French league already secured, the Qatar-owned club can focus on winning the Champions League for the first time, having reached the last eight for the third time in five years — albeit after losing 3-2 to Aston Villa in the second leg of the quarterfinals on Tuesday.
While saluting all of his players, Luis Enrique reserved special praise for his goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, who produced a string of great saves to prevent Villa taking the game to extra time.
“I think I have the best squad in the world, not only the goalkeeper,” Luis Enrique said after seeing his team advance 5-4 on aggregate. “In a club like we are at PSG, you have a lot of quality players and Gigi is one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
“And I have to say that match, for us, allows us to grow up and compete even better.”
Achraf Hakimi was one of the early scorers for PSG on Tuesday — along with fellow full back Nuno Mendes — and the Morocco international said “we are on the way to becoming a big team” having already eliminated Premier League champion-elect Liverpool in the knockout stage.
“I think we are really confident right now,” Hakimi said. “We are again in the semifinals and we want to show PSG is a big team, a big club and we want to fight for all the titles we can.”
Luis Enrique refused to be disappointed by the way his team collapsed in the second half against Villa, which had enough great chances to not just tie the score on aggregate but even advance.
“This is the Champions League and you have to accept that the opposition team has a lot of quality,” he said. “Aston Villa was playing with a lot of intensity in the second half and they scored two goals in three minutes when, at that moment, the match was almost dead.
“I think, over the two matches, we deserved to win.”
PSG will face either Arsenal or Real Madrid in the semifinals.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
PSG's head coach Luis Enrique, left, shakes hands with Aston Villa's head coach Unai Emery at the end of the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain at the Villa Park stadium, in Birmingham, England, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
PSG's head coach Luis Enrique shouts during the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain at the Villa Park stadium, in Birmingham, England, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
PSG's head coach Luis Enrique reacts during the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain at Villa Park stadium, Birmingham, England, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
PSG's head coach Luis Enrique waves at the end of the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain at the Villa Park stadium, in Birmingham, England, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
PSG's head coach Luis Enrique waits for the start of the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain at Villa Park stadium, Birmingham, England, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.
The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.
About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.
“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”
The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.
The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.
“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”
New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.
"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.
The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.
The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.
Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.
The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.
The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.
Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.
Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”
“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.
State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”
The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.
It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.
Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
FILE - A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, April 1, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)
