A Fashion Lover's Guide to the Champions League Final
Fashion and soccer (or football, to most of the world) have so much more in common than you might think. It's not just about the kits, though they are a fashion staple for both die-hard fans and those who have never watched a game in their lives. It's the fact that they are uniting forces; unspoken languages that translate from one end of the earth to another—worlds that only a few make a living in, but billions participate in. Depending on where you are, there might be a difference in style (of play or fashion) or top players (teams or designers), but at the end of the day, there is a common understanding about what it all means for the collective.
On May 31, these parallels will manifest in rare form when the teams of two European fashion capitals, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Inter Milan, face off in the Champions League final.
For fans of soccer and fashion, the story of this game writes itself. Like their fashion counterparts, PSG and Inter Milan are very different teams, both vying to be the best of the best, maintaining their legacy status, while innovating with the new generation. New players come and go, but the craftsmanship and the dedication remain. And because of this, it's only appropriate to create a short guide to some of the team's star players using the legacy fashion houses of the city they represent.
Ousmane Dembélé
Aurelien Meunier - PSG/Getty Images
Achraf Hakimi
Pierre Suu
In Paris, this season has been all about resilience. Last season PSG lost its top player, Kylian Mbappé, who moved to Real Madrid. Most people thought it would be a rebuilding year, but like a new creative director pulling out all the stops on their first collection at a legacy brand, this young team created magic. Ousmane Dembélé, the team's star forward, scores in nearly every match and can famously play with both feet. Like French fashion house Louis Vuitton, he's versatile and nimble, always adjusting to deliver consistent results. Off the pitch, the 28-year-old has a casual but sharp style, wearing suits in and out of practice and games. Achraf Hakimi, the right back, is the Yves Saint Laurent of the team. He is the backbone of the pitch with a large presence that spans the entire field. (In another comparative twist, the Moroccan player's home country houses the YSL museum.) Bradley Barcola, the team's versatile winger, is like Loewe. At just 22-years-old his style of play is still classic but innovative. His personal style brings a classic French flair with a youthful twist, often styling berets with jerseys and denim.
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Fox Sports
37 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Doué double leads PSG thrashing of Inter Milan for first Champions League trophy
Associated Press MUNICH (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain, Champions League winner. At long last the club that was transformed by Qatari billions and bought and sold a succession of the world's greatest players in an extravagant bid to get to the top has its hands on the big one. European club soccer's grandest prize has a new home after PSG thrashed Inter Milan 5-0 in Saturday's final in Munich. 'It's in the bag, it's coming home with us to Paris tomorrow,' coach Luis Enrique said. 'My first day at the PSG campus I said the ultimate goal was to fill the trophy cabinet. The only trophy missing was the Champions League. Here we have ticked that box.' It was the trophy that not even Lionel Messi, Neymar or Kylian Mbappe could deliver to the French club. Luis Enrique has achieved it after overseeing PSG's shift from the era of galactico signings to one of genuine team-building. Fitting then that Desire Doue, the 19-year-old French forward, emblematic of the club's new generation, was the chief inspiration and player of the match as PSG recorded the biggest win in a final in the competition's 70-year history. In a scintillating performance, Doué and substitute Senny Mayulu became the third and fourth teenagers to score in a Champions League final following Patrick Kluivert in 1995 and Carlos Alberto in 2004. 'It is wonderful, it is magical, we are rewriting the history of this club and French football,' Doué said after scoring twice and set up another goal in little over an hour on the field before being substituted. Achraf Hakimi and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia added to Doue's double. 'It's exceptional,' striker Ousmane Dembele said. 'It's especially good since we did it in style. We went to Liverpool, to Aston Villa, and played great games. We deserve it and so do the fans.' PSG joins European royalty Now PSG can truly sit alongside the royalty of European soccer. Not by virtue of turnover or merchandizing but on the merits of its achievements on the field. The Champions League is the ultimate barometer of the continent's elite clubs and up until now PSG has been a flashy contender that always came up short. That all changed at Allianz Arena, the home of Bayern Munich, one of the titans of Europe, and a fitting stage for PSG's crowning moment. Not least because it was against Bayern that it lost its only other Champions League final in 2020, leaving Neymar in tears in an empty stadium in Lisbon where fans were locked out because of the pandemic. On this occasion, thousands of PSG supporters were there to revel in the moment, waving flags, lighting flares and drowning out their rivals from Inter, many of whose supporters left the stadium long before the final whistle. They'd been partying in the streets of Munich throughout the day, but that was nothing compared to the scenes of joy when captain Marquinhos held the trophy aloft with fireworks and golden confetti exploding behind him. 'I have nothing left, I have given everything,' Marquinhos told broadcaster Canal Plus. 'The fans are proud of us. Make the most of it guys, I love you.' PSG truly delivered when it mattered after so many setbacks in this competition. If there were any nerves from Luis Enrique's players it did not show as they dominated Inter. It took just 12 minutes for the French champion to go ahead with a move of speed and precision when Vitinha's threaded pass into the box found the feet of Doué. The forward could have shot, but instead slid in Hakimi to tap into an open net. Former Inter player Hakimi muted his celebrations. Eight minutes later and the lead was doubled — more on luck than precision as Doué's shot from the right of the box deflected off Federico Dimarco and past Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer. He got his second in the 63rd, sliding the ball into the bottom corner when through on goal. Kvaratskhelia added the fourth 10 minutes later and Mayulu found the back of the net in the 86th, just two minutes after coming on. Luis Enrique doubles and trebles Luis Enrique, who won the 2015 Champions League with Barcelona, became the seventh coach to win the trophy with two different teams, in the footsteps of greats Carlo Ancelotti, Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho. He also led PSG to a first treble of trophies — the Champions League added to Ligue 1 and the French Cup — matching his achievement with Barcelona 10 years ago. 'We are ambitious, we are going to continue to conquer the football world,' he said. Inter was on track for a treble just over a month ago but has finished the season without a trophy. Mercy was spared in the final when fulltime was blown after 90 minutes without added time. 'We are extremely disappointed,' coach Simone Inzaghi said. 'Defeats can make you stronger. This defeat hurts a lot just like Istanbul (in the 2023 final).' For PSG, this moment has been 14 years in the making since it was bought by Qatar Sports Investments in 2011 and, awash with newfound riches, targeted marquee signings to speed up its route to the top. In came superstars Zlatan Ibrahimovic, David Beckham and Edinson Cavani. The ante was further upped with the arrivals of Neymar for a world record $262 million, Mbappe and finally Messi, allowing PSG to field possibly the richest array of forwards ever assembled, but still no Champions League trophy to show for it. The departure of that last stellar trio over the past two years has been the turning point, with a greater focus on the team rather than a collection of stars. Not that PSG's transformation hasn't come at a cost. It may make for a nice narrative that PSG has eschewed the big spending approach of before to organically assemble a team to beat all-comers from across Europe. The opposite is true. While it is without the marquee players of the past, this is still one of the most expensive squads in world soccer. The win will also raise more questions about nation state involvement in soccer and so-called sportswashing, given Qatar's lavish backing of PSG in enabling it to conquer Europe. It's victory comes just two years after Abu Dhabi-backed Manchester City won the trophy, again against Inter. Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund owns Newcastle, which will return to the Champions League next season with ambitions of its own. ___ James Robson is at ___ AP soccer:
Hamilton Spectator
40 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Doué double leads PSG thrashing of Inter Milan for first Champions League trophy
MUNICH (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain, Champions League winner. At long last the club that was transformed by Qatari billions and bought and sold a succession of the world's greatest players in an extravagant bid to get to the top has its hands on the big one. European club soccer's grandest prize has a new home after PSG thrashed Inter Milan 5-0 in Saturday's final in Munich . 'It's in the bag, it's coming home with us to Paris tomorrow,' coach Luis Enrique said. 'My first day at the PSG campus I said the ultimate goal was to fill the trophy cabinet. The only trophy missing was the Champions League. Here we have ticked that box.' It was the trophy that not even Lionel Messi, Neymar or Kylian Mbappe could deliver to the French club. Luis Enrique has achieved it after overseeing PSG's shift from the era of galactico signings to one of genuine team-building. Fitting then that Désiré Doué, the 19-year-old French forward, emblematic of the club's new generation, was the chief inspiration and player of the match as PSG recorded the biggest win in a final in the competition's 70-year history. In a scintillating performance, Doué and substitute Senny Mayulu became the third and fourth teenagers to score in a Champions League final following Patrick Kluivert in 1995 and Carlos Alberto in 2004. 'It is wonderful, it is magical, we are rewriting the history of this club and French football,' Doué said after scoring twice and set up another goal in little over an hour on the field before being substituted. Achraf Hakimi and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia added to Doue's double. 'It's exceptional,' striker Ousmane Dembele said. 'It's especially good since we did it in style. We went to Liverpool, to Aston Villa, and played great games. We deserve it and so do the fans.' PSG joins European royalty Now PSG can truly sit alongside the royalty of European soccer. Not by virtue of turnover or merchandizing but on the merits of its achievements on the field. The Champions League is the ultimate barometer of the continent's elite clubs and up until now PSG has been a flashy contender that always came up short. That all changed at Allianz Arena, the home of Bayern Munich, one of the titans of Europe, and a fitting stage for PSG's crowning moment. Not least because it was against Bayern that it lost its only other Champions League final in 2020, leaving Neymar in tears in an empty stadium in Lisbon where fans were locked out because of the pandemic. On this occasion, thousands of PSG supporters were there to revel in the moment, waving flags, lighting flares and drowning out their rivals from Inter, many of whose supporters left the stadium long before the final whistle. They'd been partying in the streets of Munich throughout the day, but that was nothing compared to the scenes of joy when captain Marquinhos held the trophy aloft with fireworks and golden confetti exploding behind him. 'I have nothing left, I have given everything,' Marquinhos told broadcaster Canal Plus. 'The fans are proud of us. Make the most of it guys, I love you.' PSG truly delivered when it mattered after so many setbacks in this competition. If there were any nerves from Luis Enrique's players it did not show as they dominated Inter. It took just 12 minutes for the French champion to go ahead with a move of speed and precision when Vitinha's threaded pass into the box found the feet of Doué. The forward could have shot, but instead slid in Hakimi to tap into an open net. Former Inter player Hakimi muted his celebrations. Eight minutes later and the lead was doubled — more on luck than precision as Doué's shot from the right of the box deflected off Federico Dimarco and past Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer. He got his second in the 63rd, sliding the ball into the bottom corner when through on goal. Kvaratskhelia added the fourth 10 minutes later and Mayulu found the back of the net in the 86th, just two minutes after coming on. Luis Enrique doubles and trebles Luis Enrique, who won the 2015 Champions League with Barcelona, became the seventh coach to win the trophy with two different teams, in the footsteps of greats Carlo Ancelotti, Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho. He also led PSG to a first treble of trophies — the Champions League added to Ligue 1 and the French Cup — matching his achievement with Barcelona 10 years ago. 'We are ambitious, we are going to continue to conquer the football world,' he said. Inter was on track for a treble just over a month ago but has finished the season without a trophy. Mercy was spared in the final when fulltime was blown after 90 minutes without added time. 'We are extremely disappointed,' coach Simone Inzaghi said. 'Defeats can make you stronger. This defeat hurts a lot just like Istanbul (in the 2023 final).' For PSG, this moment has been 14 years in the making since it was bought by Qatar Sports Investments in 2011 and, awash with newfound riches, targeted marquee signings to speed up its route to the top. In came superstars Zlatan Ibrahimovic, David Beckham and Edinson Cavani. The ante was further upped with the arrivals of Neymar for a world record $262 million , Mbappe and finally Messi, allowing PSG to field possibly the richest array of forwards ever assembled, but still no Champions League trophy to show for it. The departure of that last stellar trio over the past two years has been the turning point, with a greater focus on the team rather than a collection of stars. Not that PSG's transformation hasn't come at a cost. It may make for a nice narrative that PSG has eschewed the big spending approach of before to organically assemble a team to beat all-comers from across Europe. The opposite is true. While it is without the marquee players of the past, this is still one of the most expensive squads in world soccer. The win will also raise more questions about nation state involvement in soccer and so-called sportswashing, given Qatar's lavish backing of PSG in enabling it to conquer Europe. It's victory comes just two years after Abu Dhabi-backed Manchester City won the trophy, again against Inter. Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund owns Newcastle , which will return to the Champions League next season with ambitions of its own. ___ James Robson is at ___ AP soccer:
Yahoo
44 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Youthful Paris Saint-Germain flaunt maturity beyond their years to finally reach Champions League summit
Paris Saint-Germain matured, moved away from the superstars, and so the stars aligned for them. Producing the biggest margin of victory in the 70-year history of the European Cup final, Luis Enrique's sensational side obliterated Inter Milan 5-0 here in Munich's Allianz Arena. Advertisement The Champions League trophy is finally PSG's — seen as the pinnacle of their ambition when the club was purchased by Qatar Sports Investments in 2011. They have had to learn the hard way, realising that littering the team with the individual brilliance of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar was no guarantee of European success. PSG and their chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi did away with all that and now have their reward: a winning formula led from the front by youthful French attackers Desire Doue, Bradley Barcola and their unassuming poster boy Ousmane Dembele. Enrique told his players when Mbappe left for Real Madrid that, without him, they would score more. That's proven prophetic. After the semi-finals in 2021 and last year, and the final in 2020, at last the European crown is theirs. Doue scored two and assisted another to help PSG on their way (AP) Inter were deserving finalists, having knocked out Bayern Munich and stunned Barcelona in perhaps the greatest semi-final tie of all time, but were never remotely close to landing their fourth crown and, as in 2023, were beaten finalists. Advertisement The goals came from 19-year-old Doue, who scored twice, and from ex-Inter man Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Senny Mayulu but could have come from anyone in that rampant front-line. It felt telling when, the night before the final, PSG's captain Marquinhos — who has lived through everything at the club, the highs and the lows, for 12 years — admitted this iteration of the team is the one he has had the most fun playing in. And so the fun began again. Barely a minute was needed for the match to take up its expected status quo, PSG passing and probing and searching for spaces Inter hadn't meant to leave unmanned. Patient though their possession was for the first 10 minutes, the arrival of a handful of red flares behind the PSG goal seemed to stoke the fire in them at the other end. The opening goal on 12 minutes was followed by a second just eight minutes later. Both showed PSG at their scintillating best. Advertisement Their midfield maestro Vitinha played the killer pass, bisecting Inter's defence and allowing Doue (energetic and front-footed throughout) to square for Hakimi. the 19-year-old mayulu epitomised PSG's new generation (AFP via Getty Images) Their second had everything: pace, panache, and dogged defending. What started at one end as Ecuadorian centre-back William Pacho clearing the ball off the line to prevent an Inter corner quickly became a breathtaking counter-attack, Kvaratskhelia setting Dembele free to run at Inter and then drift a cultured pass wide right for Doue to control and volley in via a deflection, PSG in total command. Now was the time to strike back for Inter, but both Francesco Acerbi and Marcus Thuram headed wide from corners as PSG's confidence only grew. Inter misplaced passes and played without tempo or rhythm, hamstrung. Advertisement Misses by Kvaratskhelia were the final action of the first half and the first action of the second. There was to be no letting up. a cut above the rest: luis enrique (AP) And it only became more emphatic for PSG, more gruelling for the Nerazzurri, as Doue latched on to a through-ball from the outstanding Vitinha and coolly found the corner. Doue, a teenager, had two goals and an assist in the Champions League final. Not bad. Enrique and his coaching staff celebrated every goal the same, bouncing up and down in a huddle, but when Dembele fed Kvaratskhelia to slam home the fourth, the PSG bench stormed onto the pitch on a night that could not get any better. Advertisement Except it could. As the Munich heat held late into the night, substitute Mayulu — 19 years of age, born eight miles from the centre of Paris — added a fifth. PSG came 15th in the league phase and lost five games en route to this final. Inter, meanwhile, just one, breaking a record in that same league phase by keeping clean sheets in seven of their games. Inter were the oldest team in the knockout stages and manager Simone Inzaghi named a starting line-up with an average age five-and-a-half years younger than their opponents, but after a spirited run where he has squeezed the absolute most out of an ageing squad, their run was finally up. The vast experience in their ranks counted for nothing as PSG came of age and delivered the French capital European glory at long last.
