Graham HunterSep 30, 2025, 05:57 AM ET
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Graham Hunter is a Barcelona-based freelance author for ESPN.com who makes a speciality of La Liga and the Spanish nationwide crew.
Barcelona internet hosting Paris Saint-Germain within the UEFA Champions League has a giant probability of being the perfect, most dramatic, thrilling match wherever on this planet this week.
Final time they met, 17 months in the past, the Catalans received brilliantly within the French capital and the Parisians replied with a punishing victory in Barcelona. That tit-for-tat battle handled us to 10 objectives whereas former Barça coach Luis Enrique impressed his new crew by means of to the Champions League semifinals in his debut season.
On condition that eight of the highest 12 gamers in final week’s Ballon d’Or rating have been scheduled to brighten Wednesday’s match, there was comprehensible concentrate on the damage lists: Raphinha, Gavi, Ousmane Dembélé, Marquinhos, Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia all out; plus doubts of various levels encompass João Neves, Fabián Ruiz and Vitinha.
However it is a assembly that may go away individuals in tatters, no matter the bodily or psychological state during which they strategy it.
– Ogden: Mourinho’s Chelsea return a reminder of his icon and influence– Kirkland: Actual Madrid journey 4,000 miles east to Asia for historic UCL journey– Connelly: Early-season angst test: Do Madrid want to fret?
Of the three I take note of, solely two are scheduled to go toe-to-toe once more this time: Luis Enrique and Ronald Araújo. The opposite is Xavi Hernández, who, defeated and despatched off on the evening in April final 12 months, solely coached the membership he passionately loves for seven extra matches earlier than they sacked him.
With that glimpse of Champions League glory (a possible semifinal in opposition to Borussia Dortmund and what would, hypothetically, have been Barça’s third Wembley remaining, this time a Clásico in opposition to Actual Madrid lay forward) whereas main 4-2 on mixture with 72% of the tie performed, Xavi’s hopes of maintaining his job disappeared. Such are the vagaries of soccer administration.
Nevertheless, it’s the 2 survivors who ought to curiosity you.
Since that season, since knocking out the membership he adores, at which he’s a socio (membership member), and the membership the place he received 16 trophies as participant and coach throughout 14 years, Luis Enrique is à la mode, because the French would say. He’s received 9 of the 11 trophies out there to PSG over two unimaginable years, together with his second treble, and, as lately as final week, received the Ballon d’Or-Johan Cruyff Trophy 2025 as coach of the 12 months by a landslide. However what subsequently went fully unnoticed is how a lot it price him, and his household, to undergo that 2024 ordeal of eliminating Barcelona from the Champions League.
PSG’s Champions League quarterfinal win over Barcelona weighed on supervisor Luis Enrique, who spent 14 years on the Catalan membership. Siu Wu/image alliance by way of Getty Pictures
I’m lucky to depend him as a pal and he was beneficiant together with his time, and our entry, when, at that very second, we have been filming our “No Teneis Ni P— Idea” (“You Have No F—ing Idea”) documentary about him. A few days after Araújo was despatched off within the second leg and PSG ran riot, turning a 4-2 deficit right into a 6-4 mixture win, we fulfilled a pre-agreed shoot with Luis Enrique in his workplace at PSG’s big, trendy and relatively soulless Poissy campus. It’s a brand new construct, it boasts implausible amenities and it’s the HQ from which PSG deliberate, and effected, their thrilling all-out assault on European domination.
Nevertheless it’s huge, it will possibly really feel like a cavernous, empty film set. That grey afternoon, there have been hardly any folks about, the temper was somber and he merely instructed us the reality as he felt it then; instances have modified, however this was a stark image of a person’s affections divided and the price of doing his job brilliantly.
That day, he instructed us: “I never want to have to face Barça again in the next 10 years. Not once! For my sake and for the family!”
He added: “It was ‘heavy’ for my family, for my friends, for me. Wow! Too much!”
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The reality that emerged is that though he hails from the gorgeous metropolis of Gijón within the northern area of Asturias, Barcelona and its environs are his true house now and at all times will likely be. Furthermore, the love he and all his household maintain for the Blaugrana membership is deeply engrained.
Luis Enrique’s nearest household, his Catalan spouse and two kids, admitted that they have been deeply conflicted about attending the second leg given their premonitions about it creating right into a no-win scenario. Get knocked out and it’s heartbreak for his or her husband and father, progress and there was certain to be a hangover feeling.
Enter stage proper the opposite loser from that evening: Araújo.
Luis Enrique and his PSG analysts recognized the Uruguay worldwide nearly as good … however not ok if the right strain factors have been pushed. In a scene that he allowed us to make use of within the documentary (the title of which the PSG followers used for the banner welcoming Luis Enrique again to Parc de Princes following his Ballon d’Or-Johan Cruyff Trophy win), he dictates to his gamers exactly how he desires them to isolate after which exploit Araujo’s weaknesses.
In the course of the crew assembly the evening earlier than the match at Montjuïc, the PSG coach instructed his gamers: “This gentleman is Araújo. A top-level footballer. No query. However the Barça participant with essentially the most issues.
“Every time the ball goes towards him, in whatever situation, while the ball’s still in movement we’re already closing his passing line and then pressing him. We let Araújo come out with the ball. Whenever he does that, we isolate him, and we press him.”
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Video proof confirmed that Araújo was desperate to get on the ball, a wholehearted chief and defender, however poor in his use of possession when pressed. Liable to getting rid, relatively than remaining calm. So PSG closed down different passes for Marc-André ter Stegen and the remainder of the house defenders, steered the ball to the Uruguayan’s toes, after which sprung the entice. It was brutal.
In lower than half an hour, the prize arrived. Araújo, on the ball, unaware PSG had steered this into taking place, was pressed and gifted a wayward go to the PSG midfield, Bradley Barcola set off on a dash towards Barça’s goalmouth and, then, a last-man foul from the harassed and little doubt embarrassed Uruguayan resulted. Free kick, purple card and the steadiness of the whole tie tilted. Exactly as Luis Enrique had predicted.
Postmatch, Xavi lamented that competing 10 vs. 11 at that degree, in opposition to a rival like PSG, was virtually inconceivable. Luis Enrique deserves an NB (good word) right here.
He additionally demonstrated to his obedient crew that PSG may (would) simply rating from the sting of the field due to how Barcelona defended (this additionally occurred) and impressed the kind of (uncommon) urgent from Kylian Mbappé that coaches, together with Xabi Alonso in the meanwhile, have tried in useless to attract from the sensible striker. PSG romped house, and once they lastly made issues secure, at 4-1 with a minute left, Luis Enrique let loose just a little of the bottled-up emotion he was feeling.
The following day, actually days, have been stuffed with nasty, venomous, studs-in vitriol from Catalan media and social media, together with feedback like: “That was Mourinho-style behavior,” “Neither Xavi nor Pep Guardiola would ever celebrate coaching a win against Barcelona like that” and “Disgraceful, a complete lack of respect.”
Disappointment usually channels itself as anger and vitriol, however this was excessive and did injury. Araújo’s confidence and popularity have been each badly hit and, satirically, it’s solely actually now that his significance to the crew and self-belief have been totally restored.
On that dank, quiet, reflective afternoon in Poissy, Luis Enrique instructed us: “These have been two brutal weeks. For the household too … properly everybody, naturally. Actually exhausting, emotionally. We have been burned out. I’m in items.
“Honestly, for me it would’ve been much easier playing against Madrid! Much! All of that, even though we won. I’d hate to think about if it had finished badly. No way. I’d rather not have played them.”
Now right here he goes once more. New rival within the Barça dugout, defending champion, injury-hit crew however up in opposition to the membership he (deep in his coronary heart) feels sturdy emotion for. Not a knockout this time, granted, however hundreds and hundreds on the road. Feelings, delight and the way he’s greeted by the Catalan followers and media, not least.
