Luis Enrique refuses to name PSG favourites over Arsenal ahead of Champions League final

Who: Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique. What: He said he does not consider PSG favourites ahead of the Champions League final with Arsenal. When: Comments were made ahead of Saturday's final. Why it matters: The statement frames PSG's mindset going into a major European final and signals respect for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta's project.

Why it matters

Luis Enrique's refusal to single out PSG as favourites matters because pre-match framing can influence perceived pressure on both sides. Saying 'there are no favourites' lowers expectation talk around PSG while publicly recognising Arsenal's credentials — a psychological element ahead of a one-off final. It also highlights mutual respect between two managers who were teammates at Barcelona.

Luis Enrique praises Arsenal and Arteta

Luis Enrique acknowledged Arsenal's progress under Mikel Arteta, noting Arteta's long tenure at the club and Arsenal's Premier League title. He said Arteta has been at Arsenal for 'maybe six and a half years' and described them as 'absolutely worthy' of winning the Premier League, adding that they were consistently the best team even with Manchester City close behind.

On styles and the final's dynamic

Luis Enrique contrasted PSG's attacking firepower with Arsenal's defensive strength, calling both sides 'very attacking teams who score lots of goals' that have 'taken different routes' to reach the same destination. He noted the teams know each other well from recent meetings and said there are 'always things we can tweak, at the back and up front as well.'

• Luis Enrique: 'It's a final and there are no favorites in a final.'
• He referenced PSG's dominant 5-0 win in last year's final against Inter (as context cited by the source).
• Praised Mikel Arteta and Arsenal as 'absolutely worthy' Premier League champions after around six and a half years of Arteta at the club.
• Described both teams as attacking and familiar with each other, with room for tactical tweaks.

Context: recent meeting and PSG's past final

The source notes PSG's standout performance in last year's Champions League final — a 5-0 win against Inter — which Luis Enrique referenced when underlining that past dominance does not automatically make his side favourites for this match. The managers' shared history as teammates at Barcelona was also mentioned in the source as part of the mutual respect between coaches.

What happens next

Both teams will meet for the Champions League final on Saturday. Luis Enrique's comments set expectations that PSG will not be lounging on past laurels and that Arsenal should be treated as equals. For confirmation of starting line-ups, injury updates, tactical plans and the exact kickoff time, check official club announcements and match-day coverage.