The reporter reported coldly May 8 is the 55th birthday of Paris coach Enrique, and after 10 years, he led the team to the Champions League final again, and there is no better birthday present. But Enrique deserves more applause this time than he did 10 years ago, because this time he does not have the likes of Messi, Neymar, Suarez, Iniesta, Xavi and Sergio Busquets, and even compared to the first Champions League final in Paris five years ago, Enrique's team does not have Neymar, Mbappe, Di Maria and Thiago Silva. The Spanish coach has achieved the same with just a young team without superstars.

Not only did Enrique bring more efficient possession tactics, but he also built a younger, more local team rather than a team built around a superstar. Thomas Tuchel, who took Paris to the Champions League final for the first time five years ago, relied more on defensive midfield to provide security for the forward trident. However, Enrique pursues the overall football of all offense and defense, and all the players serve the team's tactics, but at the same time, they will also make use of the players' strengths and avoid weaknesses as much as possible. Coupled with a strong rehabilitation guarantee and a ball market signing, Enrique has built a more dominant and persuasive team.

The "Enrique style" brought about a radical change

After Paris reached the Champions League final, French celebrity Petit praised Enrique, representing the mainstream view of the French media: "Enrique's big Paris, the real superstar is the team, this is a fundamental change in the team." Enrique is a true master of technique and tactics, as well as a strong willpower with a winning mentality. Technology and a young team are only the surface of change, everyone does their best for the team, and the spirit of never giving up is the decisive internal driving force. There are no more self-righteous superstars here, only teams that are as tough and confident as their coaches. ”

The newspaper is also full of praise for the "transformation" that Enrique has brought to Grand Paris in the past two years. From the beginning of his tenure, he has repeatedly stated publicly: the team can succeed without a superstar like Mbappe. Two years ago, he was able to get a contract in Grand Paris, because of the "interview" of the top management of Grand Paris, Enrique conquered the Qatari royal family with clear tactics and rejuvenation plans, as well as an uncompromising attitude.

Enrique's 433 formation is Spanish enough, but he has completed the rejuvenation of the team through four transfer windows, and Grand Paris has given Enrique enough support, with a total investment of nearly 700 million euros in two seasons. Although there are "unideal" cases such as Muani, Gonzalo Ramos, Ugarte, Ekitike, Asensio, and Skriniar, Dembele, Barcorra, Douai, Pacho, Neves, Lucas, and Li Gangren are successful enough, and the addition of Kvaratskhelia in the winter window completes the final puzzle of the offensive line and makes the team's offensive system more comprehensive.

Enrique is still looking for possession, but emphasises more forward passing and shooting. The biggest highlight was the push of winger Dembele up front, with the technical midfielders of Neves, Ruiz and Vitinha behind the front line ensuring high ball possession. The rotation of wingers has unleashed the vitality of the goalscorer, and Dembele, who was "wasted" at Barcelona, has 33 goals and 13 assists in 46 games, and Barcola has 19 goals and 17 assists in 54 games, both of which are the peaks of their careers.

Nuno Mendes and Achraf on the wings were sharp, the only 30-year-old veteran Marquinhos sat in the defence, and with new signing Pacho, the consistency of the central defensive line was also surprising, Donnarumma was the team's last barrier, and the Italian goalkeeper also ushered in his peak season.

Off-the-counter "metamorphosis" is more important than on-the-counter

"Team Daily" believes that in addition to completing the technical and tactical teamwork and rejuvenation of Paris, Enrique has more importantly brought about a "mentality revolution".
Compared with the Champions League in the past, when every key game was always reversed, now there is no superstar in Paris, but often reverse the opponent, Enrique is a master of psychological motivation, and can make young players really see the inevitability of success through all-round meticulous preparation, combined with big data and high-tech means, and thus build the confidence and tenacious fighting spirit of winners. Enrique's arrival has completely dispelled the long-term psychological shadow brought to the players of Paris by the "Camp Nou Miracle" in 2017.

Unlike the previous dressing room management in Paris, where superstars were at the core, Enrique was adept at making all players feel involved, establishing that he did not explain rotation decisions, but kept in touch with players at low points. He often eats and talks with lost players alone, except for Berardo and Pacho, and the most significant effect is Dembele. Against Arsenal in the Champions League last year, Dembele was punished internally for not playing due to habitual disciplinary issues. Enrique's subsequent change was to push Dembele from the flanks up front, allowing a depressed Dembele to regain confidence through a change in tactical position.

Enrique likes to use wearables on the training ground, using big data to accurately analyze the status of players, and also using loudspeakers to simulate stadium noise to improve the team's communication skills with coaches, and at the same time, Enrique places great emphasis on injury prevention and rehabilitation. With the exception of Kimpembe, the vast majority of Parisian players have hardly had major injuries this season, which is the result of Enrique's aggressive injury prevention measures. On average, Enrique's coaching staff tests the players thoroughly every 6-8 weeks, and based on the results, they develop individualised training and injury prevention plans.

Most of the main squad in Paris is not physically strong, and they need more running to increase mobility. However, the coaching staff of Grand Paris is assigned 5 players per person to carry out one-on-one observation, prevention and rehabilitation of injuries, especially muscle injuries, throughout the season. In the top five leagues this season, Paris has only made more changes to its starting lineup than Athletic Bilbao, but there are few muscle injuries that are common to other giants such as Real Madrid, Manchester City and Arsenal.

It can be said that the change that Enrique brought to Grand Paris was all-encompassing. It is not only the team spirit and youthful lineup of "de-superstarization", but also the comprehensive and active intervention from physical to psychological. Even in the harsh media environment in Paris and France, he has been strong enough to protect his players better than his predecessors. The coach, who often runs marathons and triathlons, has a strong willpower, like a strong enough umbrella to keep the big Parisian players away from the huge pressure of public opinion from the media and fans in the MMN era.

Enrique has allowed the Parisian team to focus more on the team and the game than ever before, and the rewards have been surprisingly rich.