PSG: repos, match amical, “plus de charge de football”… le programme des Parisiens se dessine jusqu’à la finale de Ligue des champions

“The first thing we need to do is adapt to the calendar,” stressed coach Luis Enrique during his press conference this Saturday, just before the concluding Ligue 1 fixture against local rivals Paris FC. Having already secured the French championship, Paris Saint-Germain made the short journey to Stade Jean-Bouin on Sunday with a clear objective: to “prepare for the final” of the Champions League against Arsenal, scheduled for May 30th in Budapest, Hungary.

However, the reigning European champions’ performance did not meet their coach’s expectations, as they suffered a 2-1 loss. A visibly “disappointed” Luis Enrique admitted there was “nothing positive to take from this match; when you play football without ambition and intensity, such outcomes are only logical.”

“A more challenging end to the season than usual”

The Parisian squad now faces a 12-day stretch without any official matches before the momentous European final. This situation marks a departure from last season’s preparations, when they contested the Coupe de France final against Reims (a 3-0 victory) just a week prior to their trip to Munich and their decisive 5-0 triumph over Inter Milan.

“This is a more challenging end to the season than usual,” the Spanish tactician confirmed during the press conference. “Last year, we played the Coupe de France final, and that proved to be a significant motivator for us. Nevertheless, we still have two weeks to prepare for the most important match in our history.”

A detailed program for the team is now taking shape. “We will incorporate everything: physical and mental rest, followed by a friendly match next weekend to increase the ‘football load’,” Luis Enrique elaborated. Close attention will be paid to any updates regarding Ousmane Dembélé’s injury, as he was substituted as a precaution just after thirty minutes on Sunday night. Furthermore, the potential full training returns of Willian Pacho, Nunos Mendes, Achraf Hakimi, and Quentin Ndjantou, all of whom resumed individual training on Saturday, are keenly anticipated.

Last year, the PSG players and staff flew to Munich on the morning of the day before the final, a Friday, to conduct a final training session at the Allianz Arena in the early evening.