Paris Saint-Germain has announced Luis Enrique as its first team’s new head coach, with the Spanish manager signing a two-year contract.
The 53-year-old replaces Christophe Galtier, who departed after one season in Paris. Enrique left his role as Spain head coach after they were knocked out of the World Cup in the round of 16 following a shock loss to Morocco.
The former Barcelona boss has been linked with numerous jobs since his Spain departure, including the vacancy at Chelsea, before Mauricio Pochettino was appointed at Stamford Bridge.
PSG were also reportedly in talks with former Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann but an agreement could not be struck.
PSG won their 11th Ligue 1 title under Galtier’s stewardship but are intent on building a team capable of finally achieving Champions League success. “Paris Saint-Germain is delighted to announce that Luis Enrique has been named as its first team’s new head coach, with the Spanish manager signing a two-year contract,” the club wrote on its official website.
“I’m delighted to be joining Paris in order to enjoy a new experience,” Enrique said while reacting to his appointment. “It’s so exciting to meet new people, to live in this city, to learn a new language and, above all, to manage PSG,“ he added.
One of the first matters of business for Luis Enrique to resolve will be the future of Kylian Mbappe, who has said that he will not extend his deal at Parc des Princes when it expires next summer. PSG are believed to want to sell the player this summer if he will not sign fresh terms.
Discussing the French international striker, Luis Enrique said, “When I signed, we always remain open. A lot of things can happen. I will keep it private as it’s professional secrecy. I cannot give confidences but we will try to make the best possible squad for PSG”.
Luis Enrique Joins Paris Saint-Germain With Solid Honours
Luis Enrique Martínez Garcia, joins Paris Saint-Germain with a solid honours list and a magnificent international reputation behind him. After beginning his playing career at Sporting Gijón (1989–1992) and continuing it at Real Madrid (1992–1996), the highly versatile ex-player took it to the next level before bringing it to an end at FC Barcelona (1996–2004).
Four years after hanging up his boots, Enrique would enter the world of management, starting with Barcelona’s ‘B’ team (2008–2011) before moving onto AS Roma (2011–2012) in what was his first-ever spell abroad. After a stint at Celta Vigo in 2013–14, the Spaniard eventually found himself sitting in the Barça dugout in 2014, where he picked up his first few titles as a manager.
During the 2014–2015 season, he would pull off a remarkable and historic treble, winning the UEFA Champions League, La Liga and the Copa del Rey, which were complemented a few months later by a Supercopa de España and a FIFA Club World Cup. Enrique’s time at Barcelona would come to an end in 2017 but not before he added another Spanish league title and two further Copas del Rey to his CV.
Enrique then took charge of the Spanish national team from July 2018 to June 2019, followed by a second spell from November 2019 to December 2022. With La Roja, he reached the semi-finals of EURO 2020 as well as the final of the UEFA Nations League in 2021.
In addition, the Spanish coach has taken home a whole host of individual awards in his career, including the FIFA World Coach of the Year award in 2015.
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