From Galacticos to glory: How Luis Enrique transformed PSG into Champions League winners

PARIS (AP) — Luis Enrique got rid of the Galacticos at Paris Saint-Germain and then became one himself.

The Spanish coach, or perhaps he should be called an architect or a visionary, orchestrated a 5-0 destruction of Inter Milan in Saturday's Champions League final.

The match was so clinically one-sided that it resembled a training session against an amateur team, rather than a three-time European Cup winner.

Passing, movement, energy.

Tireless pressing, forwards dropping back to defend, wingers protecting fullbacks.

Was this really PSG?

Yes.

All of these attributes were on display in Munich as Luis Enrique joined an elite list of coaches to win the Champions League with multiple clubs. His other success was with Barcelona in 2015 — a 3-1 win against Juventus — but Saturday was sweeter.

“This is the time for a great party and to make the most of this moment," Luis Enrique said. "I felt this connection with the players and the fans, I think it was a very strong connection throughout the season. ”

Before Luis Enrique's arrival at the start of last season, such teamwork and unselfishness were not the hallmarks of PSG.

Far from it.

PSG had become increasingly complacent with star names like Neymar, Thiago Silva, Lionel Messi, Edinson Cavani, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Kylian Mbappé.

All fine players, some even great, yet all came and went without winning Europe's biggest club prize. Consequentially, the impatience of the club's Qatari owners led to a merry-go-round of coaches.

When Luis Enrique took charge he boldly went against what PSG's owners had done since taking charge 14 years ago.

It was no longer about pandering to star power and, even more importantly, it wasn't about who the new coach signed but rather who he sold.

Out went Neymar and midfielder Marco Verratti, who made too many headlines off the field amid regular reports about their lifestyle and a penchant for partying. Then, during the offseason, came the biggest jolt of all as Mbappé — the club's record scorer — joined Real Madrid.

How would PSG cope in the French league, let alone the Champions League, without a player they had overly relied on for so long?

Rather well it turns out, although it took time and courage.

On a rainy autumn night in London, Ousmane Dembélé was dropped by Luis Enrique and PSG lost to Arsenal 2-0 in a dismally poor performance.

Luis Enrique made it clear he was looking for dedication in his squad and this was non-negotiable, which is why he dropped Dembélé.

Critics lambasted his decision and doubts continued as PSG struggled in the new-look Champions League, losing to Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich.

As baffling a decision it was to some, it nevertheless showed that Luis Enrique was not going to give in to player power, like so many of his predecessors.

Instead of demanding a transfer or moaning, Dembélé said nothing. A few months later, he was transformed into a prolific scorer and is now a potential Ballon d'Or winner.

The other turning point came on Jan. 22.

PSG faced possible elimination from the Champions League group stage if it lost at home to Manchester City, the 2023 champion. The nightmare scenario saw PSG trailing 2-0, with no Mbappé to bail the team out.

What happened next ultimately defined their season, as the club's young players took the initiative and turned an inevitable-looking defeat into a 4-2 win.

Noticeably, PSG’s redesigned attack clicked with four different scorers rather than relying too heavily on one.

The young guns carried on as a resurgent PSG added to its domestic double with the Champions League title for a remarkable treble — which Luis Enrique first achieved with Barcelona 10 years ago.

It was deeply symbolic that PSG's best player against Inter was 19-year-old Désiré Doué, who set up the first goal and then scored twice.

Also, there were four different scorers on the night — just like against City.

The last PSG goal was scored by Senny Mayulu, a 19-year-old talent who grew up in the northeastern Parisian suburb of Le Blanc-Mesnil.

Luis Enrique's daughter, Xana, died six years ago at the age of nine.

When he was asked about his daughter by broadcaster Canal Plus after the match, Luis Enrique pointed to his heart and said: "It’s here every day of my life, whether we win or lose.”

PSG fans held up a banner with Xana's name after the match, and Luis Enrique changed his clothing to put on a T-shirt of the foundation he started in her memory.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

PSG's head coach Luis Enrique touches the trophy after winning the Champions League final soccer match against Inter Milan at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

PSG's head coach Luis Enrique and players Vitinha, left, and Ousmane Dembele look at the trophy at the end of the Champions League final soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno

PSG's coach Luis Enrique is thrown into the air by his players as they celebrate winning the Champions League final soccer match between Paris Saint Germain and Inter Milan, at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (Sven Hoppe/dpa via AP)

PSG's Gianluigi Donnarumma, Vitinha, Ousmane Dembele and coach Luis Enrique celebrate after winning the Champions League final soccer match between Paris Saint Germain and Inter Milan, at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (Peter Kneffel/dpa via AP)

PSG's head coach Luis Enrique celebrates with the trophy after the Champions League final soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Skeptical Democrats confronted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Wednesday for the first time since the Trump administration went to war with Iran, touching off tense exchanges over a costly conflict with unclear objectives that has been waged without congressional approval.

The hearing before the House Armed Services Committee was focused on the administration's 2027 military budget proposal, which would boost defense spending to a historic $1.5 trillion. Hegseth and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, stressed the need for more drones, missile defense systems and warships.

Democrats quickly pivoted to the ballooning costs of the war, the huge drawdown of critical U.S. munitions and the bombing of a school that killed children. Some lawmakers also questioned Trump's dealings with allies and President Donald Trump's shifting justification for the conflict.

The war has cost $25 billion so far, the chief financial official for the Pentagon told lawmakers. Jules Hurst III, the acting undersecretary of war for finances, said most of that money was spent on munitions. The military has also spent money on running the operations and replacing equipment.

Hegseth dismissed criticism of the war as political and said lawmakers who have raised questions about it are one of the greatest challenges facing the U.S. military.

“The biggest challenge, the biggest adversary we face at this point are the reckless, feckless and defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans,” Hegseth said.

In one tense exchange, Hegseth told Democratic Rep. Adam Smith that Iran’s nuclear facilities were obliterated in a 2025 attack by the U.S., prompting Smith to question the Trump administration’s reasoning for starting the Iran war less than a year later.

“We had to start this war, you just said 60 days ago, because the nuclear weapon was an imminent threat,” said Smith, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee. “Now you’re saying that it was completely obliterated?”

Hegseth responded by saying that Iran “had not given up their nuclear ambitions” and still had thousands of missiles.

Smith said the war “left us at exactly the same place we were before.”

Democrats accused Hegseth of mismanaging the war and lying to Americans about the reasons for the conflict and said rising gas prices are now threatening the pocketbooks of millions of people in the U.S.

“Secretary Hegseth, you have been lying to the American public about this war from day one and so has the president,” said Rep. John Garamendi of California, who called the war “a geopolitical calamity," a “strategic blunder" and a ”self-inflicted wound to America."

Hegseth blasted Garamandi's remarks.

“Who are you cheering for here?” he asked the lawmaker. ”Your hatred for President Trump blinds you” to the success of the war.

While a fragile ceasefire is now in place, the U.S. and Israel launched the war Feb. 28 without congressional oversight. House and Senate Democrats have failed to pass multiple war power resolutions that would have required President Donald Trump to halt the conflict until Congress authorizes further action.

Republicans say they will keep faith in Trump’s wartime leadership, for now, citing Iran’s nuclear program, the potential for talks to resume and the high stakes of withdrawal. Still, GOP lawmakers are eager for the conflict to end, and some are eyeing future votes that could become an important test for the president if the war drags on.

While Democrats pressed Hegseth and Caine over Iran, Republicans focused their questions on the Department of Defense's budget proposal, not the management of the war.

Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, chairman of the committee, opened the hearing by noting Trump's call to increase military spending. He pointed to recent increases in defense spending by China, Russia and Iran.

“We don’t have enough munitions, ships, aircraft or autonomous systems to ensure dominance against every adversary," Rogers said. “They are spending more of their GDP on defense than we are.”

Iran's closing of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping corridor for the world's oil, has sent fuel prices skyrocketing and posed problems for Republicans ahead of the midterm elections. The U.S. has responded with a Navy blockade of Iranian shipping and further built up its military forces in the region. Three American aircraft carriers are in the Middle East for the first time in more than 20 years.

The countries appear locked in a stalemate, with Trump unlikely to accept Tehran's latest offer to reopen the strait if the U.S. ends the war, lifts its sea blockade and postpones nuclear talks.

Hegseth has avoided public questioning from lawmakers about the war, although he and Caine have held televised Pentagon briefings. Hegseth has mostly taken questions from conservative journalists, while citing Bible passages to castigate mainstream outlets.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth appears before a House Committee on Armed Services business meeting on the Department of Defense Fiscal Year 2027, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey Jr.)

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth appears before a House Committee on Armed Services business meeting on the Department of Defense Fiscal Year 2027 on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey Jr.)

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth appears before a House Committee on Armed Services business meeting on the Department of Defense Fiscal Year 2027 on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey Jr.)

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth appears before a House Committee on Armed Services business meeting on the Department of Defense Fiscal Year 2027 on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey Jr.)

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine speaks to members of the media during a press briefing at the Pentagon, Thursday, April 16, 2026 in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)