Luis Enrique: "There's something exceptional about being the first to win the Champions League, and that's what motivates me the most."

Luis Enrique is very clear that his PSG is "ready" to win their first Champions League title in their history. He repeated this several times throughout his speech before the final. Ready to face the tactical challenges Inter will present; ready to handle the emotional burden of having the dream of a club and an entire fan base at hand. "We are ready and we are not afraid," he insisted. Challenges don't hinder the Asturian, but rather they give him wings, and he has one of the biggest of his career ahead of him, even though this is his second final. "Being the first to win the Champions League is exceptional, and that's what motivates me the most. The biggest challenge is making history ," he assured.

Although the Parisians haven't had an easy run in this competition, they know what it's like to play in finals. "Our journey has been difficult and tough, and that's an advantage now. I try to take it with the peace of mind of being ten years older and having ten more years of experience, because I haven't stopped working, and I'm conveying to the players the wonderful opportunity of experiencing a final and making history, but at the same time, we're managing it so that this situation doesn't overwhelm us," he explained.

Inter won't make it easy. "It's going to be difficult to take the ball away from them, and when they lose it, they also know how to defend well. Inter have clear patterns of play and add mobility, which means attention. When a team retreats well, there's little space and a lot of aggression. But that's one of the phases of the game my teams know best. Adapting and knowing how to play the final will be key . And I'm optimistic. We're going to take the game to the field where I think we're best," he warned.

Among his players, "among the best, if not the best," said Luis Enrique, is Dembélé , who didn't hesitate to consider it a pleasure to be in the final after having changed the team's dynamic in January. In his new role as a false 9, he is clear that he must "be clever and drive the defenders crazy," exactly what the coach asks of him. For him, controlling his emotions will be vital. "We have to play calmly, seriously, and with a smile, because the moment is incredible. But we can't let them down for even a second," he recalled.

In controlling those emotions to "make the Parisian people happy," captain Marquinhos believes the coach has been essential, restoring their happiness. "I've spent many years here, but this team has fun every day, we run together, we understand each other. I'm in love with what this team does." That's why he wants to win this Champions League with them, the one that slipped away from him in 2020 in Lisbon. "I have a second chance and I can't let it pass me by. We have to do whatever it takes to bring the trophy back to Paris ," he concluded.

Inzaghi: "We have determination, not obsession."

If Luis Enrique's project has just begun, Simone Inzaghi 's project smells like a farewell. The shadow of the Italian's departure hangs over the final and a title with which he hopes to cap off his time at Inter. "We deserve this final. We've shown determination from the first game. We have one last stage left before winning this trophy. This team has won a lot, we've also lost some games, but we always gave everything. We're proud to represent Inter," explained the coach, flanked by his two captains: Lautaro Martínez and Nicoló Barrella .

The Italians face their own mental challenge after going 15 years without winning the trophy. "We're determined, but not obsessed. We know how these matches are prepared. We have world champions, European champions, and preparing for this final is like preparing for the World Cup or the Euros. It's going to be a very close match," the coach ventured.

"As a child, I dreamed of playing in a Champions League match. As a player, I couldn't, but thanks to these players, I've played in two," recalled the coach, who has had to put aside two bitter memories these days. The first, the Istanbul final against Manchester City , which they lost to a Rodrigo Hernández goal. The second, the "recent" disappointment of seeing the Scudetto slip away. Neither of them carries any weight: "There's no obsession; I see determination to win this final," he warned.

The Italian expressed his admiration for Luis Enrique, "an exceptional coach whom I really like as a person," but he is clear that he will try "not to give them the ball." "The opponent has a very high-quality team, but we are among the three best in Europe in terms of possession. We are going to have possession and circulate the ball cleanly," he warned.

That's what Barella is up against, as he will face a PSG midfield with a wealth of quality. He is confident that "Inter's strength lies in the team." Opposite him, guarding the French goal, will be his friend Donnarumma , with whom he has spoken recently, "but only about family and the Italian national team," he emphasized.

The biggest threat to the goalkeeper will be Lautaro Martínez, convinced that this final, the "objective" that remains in his career, will be decided by "details." "You win by polishing them, because you have to play a perfect game . You have to be very aware of that, know what PSG does well and take advantage of it," the Argentine asserted. He doesn't want to think about a possible Ballon d'Or. "The most important thing is this award, which Inter haven't won for 15 years. My focus is on making Inter fans happy," he concluded.