Paris Saint-Germain’s head coach, Luis Enrique, declared on Friday that his team must continue adapting and improving if they want to maintain success, warning that failure to do so would mean they are “dead” in modern football.
Ahead of their Club World Cup quarter-final clash with German champions Bayern Munich in Atlanta on Saturday, the Spaniard stressed that PSG cannot rely on the same tactics that helped them claim the Champions League title.
“We will change because opponents always adapt—there’s no magic formula in football,” Luis Enrique told reporters. “When you break down the press, your rivals adjust. When you create superiority in one area, they find a way to counter it. Every coach and player today is better prepared, physically and technically.”
He added, “You must adapt, improvise, and become unpredictable—otherwise, you’re dead.”
Luis Enrique acknowledged that simply repeating the style that delivered PSG’s first-ever treble last season would not be enough going forward. “We must improve and change,” he said.
PSG lost 1-0 to Bayern in their Champions League group meeting last November but subsequently found form to win Europe’s top prize for the first time.
Forward Ousmane Dembele, who was sent off in Munich, said, “We have some revenge to take. They’re a tough side, but we’re stronger now. The players and I have raised our levels, and we’re confident. We know what to do on the pitch and can beat any team.”
Dembele, a leading Ballon d’Or contender after an outstanding season, has so far appeared only briefly as a substitute in the Club World Cup. He returned from a quadriceps injury suffered in June during the Nations League and featured in PSG’s 4-0 win over Inter Miami.
The 28-year-old insists he is now fully fit, but whether he starts against Bayern at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium remains a decision for Luis Enrique.
“It’s not the time to reveal information to our opponents—we’ll see tomorrow,” the coach said.
