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'We have warriors, not players' – PSG president lauds squad after Bayern triumph

23h59 CEST

06/05/2026

Paris Saint-Germain's success in reaching another Champions League final was down to Luis Enrique calling upon "warriors", rather than players.

That was the message from PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who was speaking in the immediate aftermath of Luis Enrique's side reaching a second successive European final.

A 1-1 draw away to Bayern Munich on Wednesday secured a 6-5 victory on aggregate, after last week's nine-goal thriller at the Parc des Princes went PSG's way.

Ousmane Dembele needed just three minutes at the Allianz Arena to extend the reigning champions' advantage, with Harry Kane's strike in second-half stoppage time ultimately proving redundant.

PSG are the first team to reach consecutive Champions League finals since Liverpool in 2018-2019, while they are the first holders to reach the final since Real Madrid in 2018.

And Al-Khelaifi, who had always prioritised continental glory over domestic success, says PSG's achievements are down to the work ethic of Luis Enrique's world-class squad.

"It's magnificent. Two finals… We want to go for the second star," the PSG chief said on Canal+ after his side set up a final with Arsenal. 

"We don't have players, we have warriors. We have a solid team.

"Bayern are a great team, with great players. It was a magnificent match for us. We made history here last year, we want to continue writing PSG's history.

"It's our goal to win a second time. The star is the team. Everyone wants to fight. That's football, that's PSG. It's magnificent. We have the best coach in the world, the best fans."

PSG are also the first French team to reach three different European Cup/Champions League finals (also 2020 and 2025), but Al-Khelaifi may be selling his players short by pointing solely to their battling work.

The Ligue 1 champions' 44 goals in the 2025-26 competition are the outright second-most scored by a team in a single edition of the Champions League, behind Barcelona’s 45 in 1999-00.

And their attacking quality is clear to see. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia became the first player to either score or assist a goal in seven knockout-stage games within the same Champions League campaign, when he teed up Dembele early on.

In fact, only Harry Kane (22) has been involved in more goals in the competition than Kvaratskhelia (21 – 13 goals, 8 assists) since the Georgian's debut for PSG in February last year.

Dembele has also scored in three consecutive Champions League appearances for PSG for the first time since the first two months of 2025, while he has been directly involved in six goals (five goals, one assist) across his last three matches in the competition.

But their forward line does put in the hard yards as well. Desire Doue (24) and Kvaratskhelia (16) applied the most high-intensity pressures in the opposition half in the first 45 minutes of Wednesday's match.

Doue could have capped a fine performance with a remarkable individual goal in the second half, too.

"It was an exceptional match, another magical night in Munich against a great team," Doue said on Canal+. "These are the kinds of matches we have dreamed of playing since we were little.

"Now, we're going to enjoy this as a team. We're staying humble. There's still work to be done in Ligue 1 and the Champions League. We can't win all the time with extraordinary play.

"We defended very well. That's our strength, we're capable of attacking and defending. It's going to be a very tough final against Arsenal, who are also a very good team."

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