At a Glance:
What Luis Enrique after walking up to Mikel Arteta after PSG vs Arsenal.
Enrique spoke to David Raya and Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Luis Enrique on Arsenal as a team after PSG win the Champions League.
In successive seasons, Luis Enrique’s PSG juggernaut have overcome Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side in the Champions League but on Saturday, the French side managed to do so in the final.
Gabriel Magalhaes’ missed penalty in the shootout will long live in Enrique’s memory as he has only become the second manager in Champions League history to defend his crown.
While history remembers the victors, the Parisians were far from their free-flowing best against the Gunners and looked disjointed for much of the contest.
However, much like Marquinhos, who consoled Gabriel after the defender skied his spot-kick, Luis Enrique also showed his class after the game.
Luis Enrique consoled Mikel Arteta after PSG beat Arsenal in the Champions League final
TNT Sports shared a video of Enrique walking up to Mikel Arteta and consoling him, with the pair hugging each other after PSG defeated Arsenal.
Luis Enrique went over to console Mikel Arteta after the UCL Final.
Respect 👏 pic.twitter.com/u3b70Z7c5A
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 30, 2026
PSG were favourites to trounce Arsenal and they lived up to the tag in the final but Luis Enrique seems to respect Arteta and Co as he even approached David Raya and Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Raya and Arrizabalaga shared brief chats with the three-time Champions League winner before embracing him, which shows that at the end of the day, both clubs hold each other in high esteem.
Luis Enrique revealed how he really feels about Arsenal as a team
Arsenal can be proud of themselves of pushing Luis Enrique’s legendary PSG side to the brink, with penalties ultimately deciding the winner. A penalty shootout is akin to a roll of the dice and on the day, the Parisians’ winning experience and composure stood out.
Luis Enrique highlighted Arsenal’s defending after the game, admitting that PSG found it a challenge to break them down, saying: “When you play against a team like Arsenal with Mikel Arteta, they try to defend in the best way. They were lucky because they started with the action and they scored the goal, it was difficult for us and after that, they defend very well, very deep.
The Spaniard added: “It’s difficult to overcome them. We tried to play more on the sides but it was very difficult because the players with energy in the moment that you are losing, they were not very attentive. But I think in the second half, we improved a little bit. We created more of less enough chances to score. After the penalty, it was more balanced.”
Srinivas Sadhanand
Srinivas Sadhanand is a writer for Read Arsenal and Read Man City, with over eight years of experience as a sports journalist. He has worked for established companies such as GRV Media, The Economic Times, Urban Pitch and Sportskeeda among several others. From interview athletes to writing detailed tactical pieces and covering the impact streetwear and music in football, he has many strings to his bow as a journalist. Being a lifelong Manchester City fan, he specialises in writing about them and the Premier League in particular. Away from the desk, he loves watching European football, cricket, films, listening to music and exploring new foods.
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