Luis Enrique on Paris' Champions League triumph and what happens next

After a treble-winning season, which culminated in a 5-0 final win against Inter to claim a first-ever UEFA Champions League, Luis Enrique's scarily talented Paris side have it all to do again, kicking off with the UEFA Super Cup meeting against UEFA Europa League winners Tottenham in Udine on Wednesday.

Speaking to UEFA.com, the Spaniard explained how his side reached a peak in that decider in Munich, but how even greater achievements could be to come.

On the response in France to Paris' final

Even today, when you walk around Paris, people thank you. They thank you and give you a hug. I think that's one of the things that I, as a man of a certain age with experience as a player and coach, appreciate. Being able to meet people that you don't know at all, who I'm sure have very complicated lives but who, during this month or match or year, have been able to be happier, have been able to enjoy, have been able to overcome their problems.

On rallying after a rough start to the league phase to win the Champions League

In the first three or four games, we were walking a tightrope, though we deserved to get many more points. Things started to get hairy, our confidence dropped.

The unselfishness of the players in the team changed that. We approached the issue that we were creating chances but not scoring goals head on: "Why don't we focus on something else? Why don't we focus on finding the player who is best placed in the box?" Our stats changed after that, the victories came automatically, we regained our confidence automatically, and those same players or that same team who didn't win those games suddenly started winning with relative ease.

On the 5-0 final win against Inter in Munich

I was worried about two weeks before we played, when we played the final of the Coupe de France, before the Champions League final. Me and my staff had only one thing in mind, and that was to go into it feeling relaxed, so we wouldn't be overwhelmed by the setting or the moment of the game, because we were surrounded – as you would expect – by fans keen to support us, trying to give us energy. When there is too much of anything, it's a bad thing.

We already knew we were going to give more than 100%, and that is bad. But I remember saying to the players: "We're going to try and be at 105%, not 120%, because this type of game ends up overwhelming you."

[These are] special matches in which the tension can overwhelm you, and I think that in that respect the players were sensational at managing that tension. The approach to that game was exceptional from the team as a whole.

On the celebrations after the final whistle

It's a moment that has now gone down in history: beautiful memories, beautiful images, many moments, and a lot of suffering, which is ultimately what makes you value things. When you have suffered, you treasure those moments of happiness, and in that sense I think it was the perfect season.

You already know what our family has been through [with the loss of his daughter Xana, who died aged nine in 2019]. In life, we all know that we live and then we die – these two things are certain, but nobody accepts death. I think that over the years, and in this process, my whole family has lived in a different way, in a way that fulfils us. So, even if we don’t have Xana physically, she is still there on a spiritual level.

That match was a final touch that reminded me that little Xana loved running across the pitch and that she would have enjoyed that moment – and she has done so through her siblings and her parents. It was a beautiful and emotional moment because all of the families of the players and staff members were in the stadium and we want more. We want to relive that.

On Paris' next target

The aim for this upcoming season is to improve. In terms of titles, it's going to be harder because there are more to play for. But in footballing terms, I think we'll improve as a team, both in attack and defence. I believe we can still identify phases of the game to get better in.

In terms of titles, we want to be ready to go for all of them. Of course, we all believe that we can win all of them and repeat this feat again this year, which would mean going down in history in true style, and that gives us special motivation.