Paris Saint-Germain etched their name deeper into European history, while Arsenal stumble again. On a night that produced the first Champions League final to see both sides score since 2018, it was Luis Enrique who once again redefined the boundaries of coaching excellence.
Luis Enrique has joined an exclusive club. He became only the second Spanish manager, after Pep Guardiola, to win the European Cup three times.
Guardiola’s trilogy, Barcelona (2009, 2011) and Manchester City (2023) is legendary. But Enrique’s path is unprecedented. After his treble with Barcelona in 2015, he has now secured a staggering three-year sweep with PSG, the Ligue 1 title, both domestic cups, and now the 2025/2026 Champions League trophy.
In doing so, Enrique became the second manager in history to win the treble with two different clubs, joining Guardiola (Barcelona 2009, Man City 2023).
When it comes to passing in this season’s UEFA Champion League, Vitinha, the Portuguese midfielder produced a passing masterclass. Against an Arsenal side that had not lost a single game in which they led at half-time over their last 115 outings (W99 D15), Vitinha dismantled their press.
He completed 141 passes in the final alone. He has now completed 1,589 passes in the competition this season, registering 100+ passes in nine different matches. After torching Leverkusen (126), Bayern (116), and Monaco (117 and 105), his 141-pass display against Arsenal in the final was the ultimate statement of control.
For Arsenal, the club has now played 226 matches in European Cup/Champions League history more than any other club without ever winning the trophy. When the final went to extra time for the first time since 2016, Mikel Arteta’s men appeared to have the momentum. They led at the break, a position from which they had lost only once in 115 games across all competitions.
The game drifted to a penalty shootout the 13th such final in the competition’s history. As has often been the case, an English side was involved. At least one English side has been involved in five of the last six shootout finals.
Since the inception of the UEFA Champions League in 1992/93, only two sides have won the competition in back-to-back seasons. Real Madrid (2016, 2017, 2018) and now PSG