By Paris Saint-Germain have total faith in head coach Luis Enrique despite being knocked out of the Champions League by Borussia Dortmund on a disappointing night for the French club in Paris on Tuesday.
PSG exited Europe’s premier competition at the semi-final stage on Tuesday as a Mats Hummels goal earned Dortmund a 1-0 win at the Parc de Princes to send them through 2-0 on aggregate to the final at Wembley on June 1.
Enrique to get backing to lead PSG in post-Mbappe era
Despite the disappointing exit, Enrique will receive the backing he needs this summer to lead PSG into the post-Kylian Mbappe era.
PSG expect France international Mbappe to join Real Madrid as a free agent next month after he refused to activate a one-year extension in his contract with the Ligue 1 champions.
Enrique has assumed responsibility for his team getting knocked out of the Champions League by Borussia Dortmund
Mbappe has not confirmed his move to Madrid in public yet and he remained enigmatic when he was asked if he had played his last European game for PSG after last night’s defeat.
“This season, that’s sure, it would have to be,” he said.
PSG resigned to Mbappe departure
Kylian Mbappe is expected to leave PSG in the summer and join Real Madrid on a free transfer
PSG are resigned to Mbappe’s departure and his exit will mark the official end of the Galactico era which saw the signing of players such as Brazilian Neymar and World Cup winner Lionel Messi.
Despite the huge outlay on players and wages, Champions League success has remained elusive, although PSG insiders would say significant progress has been made on and off the pitch.
PSG have already won the French title this season and will play Lyon in the French Cup final on May 25.
Ousmane Dembele reacts during PSG’s defeat to Borussia Dortmund
Two summers ago, they embarked on a new strategy of building a squad of young, hungry and predominantly French players after the excesses of the Galactico era.
This season they reached the semi-finals of the Champions League with the youngest squad they have used in Europe and from the round of 16, they started games with the youngest team in the competition.
Off the pitch, PSG have moved into a new €300m training ground and there are plans in place to move to a new stadium.
In December US private equity firm Arctos Partners bought a 12.5% stake in PSG in a deal that valued the club at €4bn.
Busy transfer window expected at PSG | Osimhen to arrive?
Victor Osimhen could be a target for PSG this summer
Mbappe’s imminent departure is expected to lead to another busy transfer window.
PSG are one of the few clubs who would be able to afford to trigger the €120m release clause of Napoli forward Victor Osimhen.
Enrique will have money to spend this summer but any new arrivals will have to fit in to the new culture at the club.
Mbappe’s departure could lead to a busy summer in Paris
While PSG remained determined to win the Champions League, losing Mbappe, their best player, to 14-time winners Real Madrid will make that job even more difficult.
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi says his new-look squad will be ready to go again next season.
“We are proud to have the youngest team in Europe and we have reached three semi-finals in five years,” he said.
“That’s not our objective, of course, so we must continue working. It was bad luck – hitting the woodwork four times. I’ve never seen that before, but it’s football. Congratulations to Dortmund.”
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