English Premier League
Luis Enrique joins Europe’s coaching elite as Paris Saint-Germain extend continental reign
Luis Enrique strengthened his place among Europe’s elite managers as Paris Saint-Germain claimed the UEFA Super Cup for a second successive season with a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa at the Red Bull Arena in Salzburg, Austria, on Wednesday evening.
The latest trophy gives Paris Saint-Germain back-to-back European Super Cup successes and adds another landmark to the growing era under the Spanish coach. It also places Luis Enrique alongside some of the continent’s most celebrated managers, including Zinedine Zidane.
This was more than another piece of silverware for the club. The result represented a statement that Paris Saint-Germain’s recent dominance is not the product of a brief surge, but the beginning of an exceptional period in European football.
The comparison with Zidane’s time at Real Madrid is increasingly difficult to ignore. Between 2016 and 2018, Zidane led the Spanish side to three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles, while also winning the UEFA Super Cup twice in succession.
Zidane took charge of Real Madrid in January 2016, replacing Rafa Benitez, and inherited a squad already packed with world-class talent. Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric were among the leading figures in a team that appeared to have every major component in place.
His achievement was to manage that collection of stars effectively. Zidane maintained calm within the squad, protected the team’s interests above individual status and created the conditions for an extraordinary run of success.
Luis Enrique’s challenge at Paris Saint-Germain was markedly different. He arrived in the summer of 2023 after the club’s previous star-led project had begun to break apart, following the departures of players such as Lionel Messi and Neymar, and later Kylian Mbappe.
Rather than avoid the responsibility of rebuilding, Luis Enrique used the departure of the club’s “headline stars” to construct a more disciplined collective. His side became defined by an aggressive high press and total tactical commitment, moving away from a team reliant on individual solutions and towards a relentless, coordinated machine.
That transformation has now produced a record that mirrors some of Zidane’s most remarkable achievements. In the modern history of European football, Zidane made history by guiding Real Madrid to Champions League victories in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
Luis Enrique has revived that sense of the extraordinary in France. He has led Paris Saint-Germain to consecutive Champions League titles in 2025 and 2026, completing the latest campaign with a tactical performance that eliminated several of Europe’s leading teams, including Arsenal in the final.
Maintaining hunger is one of the most difficult tasks for any side that has reached the summit of the continent twice in a row. The UEFA Super Cup arrives at the start of a new season, when champions must quickly rediscover their intensity despite having only recently completed a demanding campaign.
That is where the authority and mentality of the manager become particularly important. Zidane developed a culture of resilience at Real Madrid, encouraging his players to continue competing and responding until the final minute. Under Luis Enrique, Paris Saint-Germain have shown a similarly formidable ability to manage finals and withstand the pressure of major matches.
The latest European Super Cup means Luis Enrique is no longer simply matching Paris Saint-Germain’s recent achievements. He is now entering the historical company of the continent’s legendary coaches.
He has already won the Champions League three times as a manager: with Barcelona in 2015 and Paris Saint-Germain in 2025 and 2026. That total puts him level with Zidane, Pep Guardiola and Bob Paisley.
Luis Enrique has also joined the select group of managers to win both the European Super Cup and the Champions League in consecutive years, alongside Arrigo Sacchi and Zidane.
The strongest similarity between Zidane and Luis Enrique lies in the way both have dealt with pressure. Zidane handled the media with a calmness that helped absorb crises around his team. Luis Enrique, by contrast, has confronted a demanding French media environment with a firm and uncompromising personality.
Zidane’s success came through managing the pride of established superstars while maintaining tactical balance. Luis Enrique’s has been built through a wider revolution, creating a successful side without depending on a collection of globally dominant names.
By lifting another European trophy in Salzburg, Luis Enrique demonstrated that Paris Saint-Germain’s authority is no longer a temporary phenomenon. The club have established a sustainable winning culture, ensuring that “Zizou” is no longer alone among Europe’s coaching greats.
