Enrique Comments on Post-Match Incident

EAST RUTHERFORD: Following Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) 3-0 defeat against Chelsea in the Club World Cup final on Sunday, the team’s manager, Luis Enrique, expressed his belief that the post-game altercation ‘could have been averted by all parties involved.’

Cole Palmer shone in the first half, scoring twice and assisting Joao Pedro in securing the victory for Chelsea with a third goal.

Late in the match, tensions flared, leading to PSG playing with 10 men after Joao Neves was ejected in the 85th minute. A VAR review confirmed he had pulled defender Marc Cucurella’s hair.

After the final whistle, the situation intensified as players from both teams clashed, with PSG’s head coach Enrique seemingly raising his hands toward Pedro’s face. Pedro fell, and Enrique was escorted away discreetly.

Enrique stated that the post-match events could have been prevented.

“I think the situation at the match’s conclusion could have been avoided if everyone had acted differently,” Enrique commented.

“My aim and intent are always to persuade the players to prevent future problems. Internally, the environment is filled with significant tension and pressure.”

The PSG head acknowledged the gravity of the situation, expressing that it should not be repeated.

“Following that, a number of shoves occurred involving numerous individuals, which I believe we should all avoid and ensure it does not happen again,” he added.

The match was largely one-sided, with the European Cup and French league champions underperforming after their 4-0 victory against Real Madrid in the semi-final of the expanded 32-team tournament.

Enrique noted that such outcomes are inherent in football and cannot be fully explained. He also commended the opposition’s performance.

“That’s football for you. Not everything has a clear explanation,” Enrique remarked.

“I think they began the game exceptionally well, applying significant pressure, which caused us difficulties. Subsequently, they had opportunities to score, but they were unsuccessful.”