Luis Enrique’s place in the modern game, with Bayern next | OneFootball

Luis Enrique and PSG go to Bayern on Tuesday at 21:00 for a Champions League semi-final first leg. L'Équipe reports that his recent trophies and an admired playing style are shaping his mark on the modern game.

His first sweep came early, a Champions League, Liga and Copa del Rey treble with Barcelona in 2014-2015. Recognition still took time, clouded by the Messi effect and barren spells at Roma in 2011-2012, Celta in 2013-2014 and Spain from 2018 to 2022.

Munich staged the breakthrough on 31 May 2025, a 5-0 dismantling of Inter that made his ideas cohere on the grandest stage. Where he sits alongside Arrigo Sacchi, Johan Cruyff, Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp will be judged over time.

Lyon head coach Paulo Fonseca places him alongside Guardiola, praising his insistence that the collective matters more than individuals. Lluis Lainz, a Barça staffer from 1996 to 2008 and author of “La méthode Luis Enrique”, says he has built a distinct identity that blends experience with a winner's character.

Lainz lists four pillars, physical condition, technical quality, tactical knowledge and a collective mentality. Around them sit positional play, triangular combinations, finding the free man, changes of tempo, a high press after losing the ball and quick defensive recovery.

He dismisses labels and leaves little to chance, and his career includes bold calls with Totti, Xavi, Sergio Ramos and Neymar. Arrigo Sacchi views a Barcelona-influenced coach determined to dominate and impose his game rather than react.

The legacy of this PSG, and of its coach, will hinge on sustaining elite standards, with Bayern a key hurdle and back-to-back triumphs scarce.

Source: L'Équipe