"Winning the first Champions League is harder than the second or third"

Spaniard Luis Enrique Martínez, coach of PSG, stated on Tuesday that "the hardest thing is always to win the first Champions League" because "neither the players nor the fans believed they were capable of doing it". He stressed that, after the 2025 victory, "the path has been shown" to prove that it is indeed possible.

"The first title is always difficult because the players and the fans don't believe they are capable of winning it. But we have shown them the way. Now, all of PSG and the young players want to win because they know they are capable of doing it. For me, it's harder to win the first than the second or third," he claimed.

Luis Enrique made these statements on the eve of the match at the Parc des Princes against Atalanta, in the first match in which PSG defend their European crown, the first they conquered in their history after more than a decade of heavy investment from their owners, Qatar.

"After being European champions, together with the club, the city and our fans, our goal is to make history again and win a second consecutive Champions League. We have to be ambitious," he added.

Luis Enrique was asked what to do to maintain his players' motivation: "It's part of my mentality to look for ways to improve, to show the players that there is no calm or tranquillity in the future. Being ambitious is norma,l and we have to think all the time about improving."

The coach said he was "unsure" about whether to stay on the bench for the entire match against Atalanta or watch part of it from the stands, as he did in the last league match against Lens (2-0 victory).

"It's very different to watch the match from the stands. In the half-time team talk (against Lens), I saw what we could improve, our mistakes. It's something we can add to our plan. I don't know if I'll be in the stands at kick-off, but in the second half I'll be on the touchline," he said.