The final of the 2025 club World Cup will remain engraved in memories … but not for the reasons expected. While Chelsea triumphantly raised the trophy after a 3-0 net victory against PSG, a whole other scene captured the attention of the whole world: the explosive reaction of Luis Enrique, coach of the Parisian club.
🎙️ It all started in the press room, just a few minutes after the final whistle. With his face closed, the voice posed but trembling with emotion, Luis Enrique spoke to journalists:
“I am not a loser. »»
This simple statement sounded like a thunderclap in an already heavy atmosphere. But it was only the beginning.
🧨 When a Spanish journalist asked him for explanations on the surrealist altercation that occurred just after the match – where he slapped Joao Pedro, Brazilian striker from Chelsea – Enrique did not shirk. Worse, he surprised everyone by a direct and confusing response:
“He was the one who played comedy. He provoked me verbally, I put my hand on him, he collapsed as if I had struck him with a brick. »»
😳 In the room, the cameras clicked, the faces crisp. A silence fell for a few seconds, only broken by stupor sighs. Some journalists immediately posted the extract on social networks, where the comments of the coach caused an unprecedented storm.
🔁 On X (formerly Twitter), the hashtag #enriqueout quickly became trendy in France, Brazil and Spain. Many Internet users have criticized his lack of composure, while others defend the coach, saying that Joao Pedro exaggerated the scene. A video broadcast by Dazn seems to support this latest version: we see Luis Enrique approach Pedro in a confused jostling, Kimpembe trying to hold him back, then a quick interaction where Pedro falls backwards. Was it a real slap or a simple amplified contact?
👀 A source close to the PSG locker room says that some players, including Marquinhos and Vitinha, have been shocked by the incident, but dare not express themselves publicly. Others, such as Donnarumma, would be “united but worried about the image that this refers to the club”.
⚖️ For its part, FIFA confirmed in the night that a formal investigation had been opened for “inappropriate behavior of an official towards an opposing player”. According toThe team, Luis Enrique could be suspended up to 6 months of all official competitions if the slap is deemed voluntary. PSG has not yet published an official press release, but a crisis meeting would be underway between Nasser Al-Khelaïfi and the Qatari staff.
💬 To conclude the conference, Enrique launched a sentence which, according to some analysts, could mark the beginning of the end of his Parisian adventure:
“I came to Paris to build, not to undergo. If I don’t understand me, then maybe I’m not in the right place. »»
