Luis Enrique demands Paris Saint-Germain remain hungry after Super Cup victory

Luis Enrique praised Paris Saint-Germain’s character after they defeated Aston Villa 2-1 in Salzburg to win the European Super Cup for a second successive year, while admitting that their latest success was particularly demanding after only a short period of preparation.

The Paris Saint-Germain manager said his players had produced an impressive performance despite limited training time and the difficult circumstances surrounding the start of the campaign.

“I was not surprised, because I know the players well and I know what they are capable of. It was extremely complicated, exactly as it was last season,” Luis Enrique told Canal+ after Wednesday’s match in Austria.

The Spanish coach added, in comments reported by RMC: “We must highlight what the team has done, because it is not easy at all when you only have a few days of training.”

Luis Enrique had raised concerns about the lack of preparation time at his pre-match news conference. Most of his squad were not yet ready to play matches after returning from holiday following their involvement in the 2026 World Cup.

Despite those limitations, Paris Saint-Germain secured another European trophy by overcoming Aston Villa 2-1. The victory continued a run of four consecutive European honours for the club, comprising two Champions League titles and two European Super Cup successes.

Luis Enrique also highlighted the attitude and motivation within his squad, saying the players’ enthusiasm for football made it easier to prepare them for important matches.

“It is very easy to motivate these players, because they love what they do. I think the situation is almost perfect,” he said.

The manager accepted that winning trophies repeatedly was a difficult challenge, but insisted Paris Saint-Germain could not allow their latest achievement to reduce their ambition.

“It is extremely difficult to win trophies consecutively, so we must enjoy what we have achieved, but at the same time we have to be ambitious and professional in order to try to win everything again,” he said.

The result against Aston Villa means Paris Saint-Germain have begun another campaign with silverware, extending a period of sustained success in European competition. Their latest triumph came even though the squad had been afforded only a small number of training sessions before the match.

Luis Enrique ended his post-match comments by making clear that the club’s expectations would not change after the victory.

“These are the ambitions that we have,” he said.