As of last night, PSG are a dynasty
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Reading Time: 2min | Sun. 31.05.26. | 10:08
Luis Enrique's Paris Saint-Germain became only the second team to win back-to-back Champions League titles since the elite competition adopted its current name
The story of Paris Saint-Germain is one of football's greatest "Who would have thought?" tales.
Six years ago, as the world slowly grasped the severity of COVID-19 and geared up for a fierce battle against it, the Parisians reached their first-ever Champions League final.
The three final stages of the competition were played on a neutral ground, in Lisbon, and PSG, led by Thomas Tuchel, set up a showdown against ruthless Bayern Munich in the trophy match after narrowly avoiding elimination against Atalanta in the quarter-finals, scoring two goals in the last three minutes and coming from behind to win.
In one of the least exciting UCL finals ever played, the Bavarians' quality prevailed, as PSG's child, Kingsley Coman, scored a winner for a 1-0 triumph and the Bundesliga side's sixth European crown.
Just three years prior to that defeat, the Parisians were stunned by Barcelona, which bounced back after a 4-0 loss at Parc des Princes, demolished the French club 6-1 at Camp Nou, and shockingly eliminated them.
PSG were labelled eternal losers, who'll never win the trophy they craved so much.
Who would have thought that in May 2026, they'd be considered a dynasty?
A dynasty - all thanks to Luis Enrique (©Carl Recine/Getty Images)And not only that. Paris Saint-Germain became only the second club to win back-to-back UCL titles since the elite competition adopted its current name in 1993 - and the ninth in history, including the European Cup period - joining Zinedine Zidane's merciless Real Madrid side, which dominated European football for three straight years (2016, 2017, 2018).
Many would argue that the switch at PSG began with Luis Enrique's arrival and his dressing-room clearout. The end of PSG's dependence on football superstars and the Spaniard's decision to build a cohesive group with strong team chemistry instead of catering to stars - even if their names were Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe - turned out to be the best decision any Parisians' manager had ever made.
And the rest is history.
Paris Saint-Germain of six or nine years ago might have buckled under the pressure in a penalty shoot-out in a UCL final. After all, a team without a winning mentality can easily crumble under the weight of expectations such a game brings.
However, this PSG cannot be compared to the previous ones. This PSG is something the previous ones have never been. Those teams had talent. This one has character as well. Those teams desperately chased greatness. This one achieved it.
This PSG is a dynasty.