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The Star
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Analysis-Soccer-No Mbappe, no problem as Luis Enrique completes PSG transformation with a bang
Soccer Football - Champions League - Final - Paris St Germain v Inter Milan - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - May 31, 2025 Paris St Germain players celebrate winning the Champions League by throwing Luis Enrique in the air REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq PARIS (Reuters) -When Luis Enrique claimed in early 2024 that Paris St Germain would be better without Kylian Mbappe, many dismissed it as arrogance or deflection. Fifteen months later, after PSG's first Champions League triumph - a jaw-dropping 5-0 steamrolling of Inter Milan in Saturday's final in Munich - the Spanish coach's bold prediction looks less like provocation and more like prophecy. The victory marked the culmination of a profound transformation, from a club defined by star power to one shaped by structure, tactical clarity and collective belief. Luis Enrique's second season at the helm has delivered what eluded his predecessors - not just a European title, but a new identity for PSG with the youngest squad in the last 16 of the competition, featuring French teenager Desire Doue, who made a decisive impact in Saturday's final. Mbappe's departure to Real Madrid in the summer of 2024 was expected to leave a void as the striker had been the club's leading scorer for six consecutive seasons and a global face of their ambition. Without him, pundits questioned whether PSG could remain relevant at the highest level of European competition. They eventually became the second French club to win the European Cup after Olympique de Marseille in 1993. Early results this season seemed to confirm those doubts. The team managed only one win in their first five Champions League group-stage matches, falling to 26th place out of 36 in the league-phase standings. KEY MEETING A 1-0 loss at Bayern Munich in November left the team on the brink of early elimination and Luis Enrique facing intense criticism for his tactical decisions and squad selections. "You cannot understand," he then quipped at a reporter questioning his tactics and method. Behind the scenes, Luis Enrique stayed resolute. He said he had gathered the players and staff for a key internal meeting. 'We are one of the best teams in Europe,' he insisted, explaining the problem was not talent, but execution. The coach demanded an immediate improvement in their intensity, even threatening to resign if the standard in training didn't improve. In January, PSG hosted Manchester City in a must-win clash and found themselves 2-0 down. What followed was a stunning 4-2 comeback in 30 minutes that transformed the club's season and became a symbolic turning point. From that point on, PSG were nearly flawless. A 4-1 win in Stuttgart secured progression, followed by knockout victories over Brest, Liverpool (on penalties at Anfield), Aston Villa, and Arsenal. BUILT TO LAST Unlike in recent years, the team did not buckle under pressure, holding firm in hostile environments and playing with an authority and self-belief that had long evaded the club in Europe. Ousmane Dembele had his best season, scoring 32 goals in all competitions while Doue became a new star for the club, setting up one and scoring two in a stunningly one-sided final. Gianluigi Donnarumma, once a point of weakness, produced decisive saves throughout the campaign and January signing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia added versatility and energy to a system that rewarded effort over ego. Discipline, long elusive at PSG, has become a hallmark. When Dembele was late to training ahead of a Champions League match at Arsenal, Luis Enrique left him out of the squad. PSG lost 2-0, but the coach's authority was affirmed. 'That was my best decision of the season,' he later said. And Dembele returned transformed into a formidable forward after years spent being a poster boy for unfulfilled potential. Saturday's final showcased everything Luis Enrique had instilled. PSG showed control, confidence and their high pressing proved too much to handle for Inter. The title ends a 14-year wait for Qatar Sports Investments, who bought the club in 2011 with the stated aim of dominating Europe. That dream is now reality - not with a galaxy of stars, but with a system built to last. Luis Enrique did not just win the Champions League. He reshaped Paris St Germain into something new and as he once claimed, something better. (Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Toby Davis)
Straits Times
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Straits Times
F1 ponders how to solve a problem like Monaco
Formula One F1 - Monaco Grand Prix - Circuit de Monaco, Monaco - May 25, 2025 Mercedes' George Russell in action during the race REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq MONACO - Formula One pondered a perennial, if distinctly rich world, problem after a weekend of sunshine, champagne and fast cars going slower than usual: How to make the Monaco Grand Prix more of a race? Sunday's annual procession around the streets of Monte Carlo served up 78 laps without an overtake and drivers -- faced with the new challenge of a second mandatory pitstop -- driving tactically to score points. Monaco has never been big on overtaking, with an anachronistically tight and twisty layout that affords few if any opportunities for today's larger and heavier cars and is the slowest on the 24-race calendar. There were still plenty of suggestions for what might be done to spice things up, without making everything too artificial. They ranged from the minimalist -- just accept Monaco for what it is and enjoy the atmosphere -- to remodelling the track or modifying the cars. "We definitely need to have a real think about what the solution is here in Monaco," said Mercedes' George Russell after a frustrating afternoon following Williams' Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz without finding a way past. "I appreciate trying something this year in the two-stop. Clearly, it did not work at all." Russell mentioned a qualifying competition -- one on Saturday and another on Sunday with points for both -- as an alternative to even trying to have a race, a move which would certainly offend the purists. "I think that's what you guys enjoy watching the most," he said. "And 99% of the other people in Monaco are here sipping champagne on the yacht, so they don't really care." Red Bull principal Christian Horner pointed to the changes around the harbour over the years -- the building and land taken back from the sea -- and felt it was time to tweak a layout first raced in 1929. "I think everything has to move with the times, ultimately, doesn't it?," he said. "It's an iconic, historic circuit that, if you look at how Monaco has changed and how much land they've reclaimed (from the sea) in the 72 appearances here, I don't think you would need to maybe do too much. "There just needs to be one area that you can have an overtake." Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said maybe a solution could be found by making a tweak to the regulations rather than asking Monaco to change. "This is such a great entertainment. We had full grandstands. There are spectators everywhere on the terraces and on the boat. Lots of spectacle, wining and dining," said the Austrian. "Saturday is the day the sport comes alive. On Sunday we tried something, it didn't work and maybe for next year we need to find some regulations where maybe we need to define a maximum lap time, so this backing off didn't happen. "For the sport, for the Sundays itself, we can do better and we can come up with something." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Star
Motor racing-F1 ponders how to solve a problem like Monaco
Formula One F1 - Monaco Grand Prix - Circuit de Monaco, Monaco - May 25, 2025 Mercedes' George Russell in action during the race REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq MONACO (Reuters) -Formula One pondered a perennial, if distinctly rich world, problem after a weekend of sunshine, champagne and fast cars going slower than usual: How to make the Monaco Grand Prix more of a race? Sunday's annual procession around the streets of Monte Carlo served up 78 laps without an overtake and drivers -- faced with the new challenge of a second mandatory pitstop -- driving tactically to score points. Monaco has never been big on overtaking, with an anachronistically tight and twisty layout that affords few if any opportunities for today's larger and heavier cars and is the slowest on the 24-race calendar. There were still plenty of suggestions for what might be done to spice things up, without making everything too artificial. They ranged from the minimalist -- just accept Monaco for what it is and enjoy the atmosphere -- to remodelling the track or modifying the cars. "We definitely need to have a real think about what the solution is here in Monaco," said Mercedes' George Russell after a frustrating afternoon following Williams' Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz without finding a way past. "I appreciate trying something this year in the two-stop. Clearly, it did not work at all." Russell mentioned a qualifying competition -- one on Saturday and another on Sunday with points for both -- as an alternative to even trying to have a race, a move which would certainly offend the purists. "I think that's what you guys enjoy watching the most," he said. "And 99% of the other people in Monaco are here sipping champagne on the yacht, so they don't really care." Red Bull principal Christian Horner pointed to the changes around the harbour over the years -- the building and land taken back from the sea -- and felt it was time to tweak a layout first raced in 1929. "I think everything has to move with the times, ultimately, doesn't it?," he said. "It's an iconic, historic circuit that, if you look at how Monaco has changed and how much land they've reclaimed (from the sea) in the 72 appearances here, I don't think you would need to maybe do too much. "There just needs to be one area that you can have an overtake." Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said maybe a solution could be found by making a tweak to the regulations rather than asking Monaco to change. "This is such a great entertainment. We had full grandstands. There are spectators everywhere on the terraces and on the boat. Lots of spectacle, wining and dining," said the Austrian. "Saturday is the day the sport comes alive. On Sunday we tried something, it didn't work and maybe for next year we need to find some regulations where maybe we need to define a maximum lap time, so this backing off didn't happen. "For the sport, for the Sundays itself, we can do better and we can come up with something." (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Ed Osmond)
The Star
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Star
Motor racing-Why not 10 stops? Verstappen says Monaco experiment failed
Formula One F1 - Monaco Grand Prix - Circuit de Monaco, Monaco - May 25, 2025 Red Bull's Max Verstappen in action during the race REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq MONACO (Reuters) -Formula One champion Max Verstappen ladled out a serving of sarcasm on Sunday as he declared Monaco's mandatory two-stop experiment a flop. The decision to force drivers to use three sets of tyres was taken in a bid to liven up a race famed for being processional and lacking overtaking. Spectators who saw any passing were probably hallucinating, with the top four finishing in their starting positions and the main tension provided by the hope of a safety car that never appeared. "Very exciting. I was on the edge of my seat every lap. It was fantastic," Verstappen, who finished fourth, told reporters without expecting anyone to take his words seriously. "Maybe next year four stops. I could have done four stops today and still finished P4." Speaking to Sky Sports television, Red Bull's four-times world champion went even further. "You can't race here. It doesn't matter what you do. One stop, 10 stops," he said. "Nowadays with an F1 car, you can just pass an F2 car around here. I get it but I don't think it's worked. We were almost doing Mario Kart. Then we have to install bits on the car and maybe you can throw bananas around. Slippery surface." Other drivers echoed the Dutch driver's sentiments. "The two-stop clearly did not work at all," said Mercedes' George Russell. McLaren's race winner Lando Norris gave a two-word answer when asked for his thoughts: "Hated it." That said, he said overtaking had always been difficult in Monaco and did not understand why people expected anything different. "I also think Formula One should not turn into just a show to entertain people. It's a sport. It's who can race the best, who can qualify the best," he said. "The last thing I want is manufactured racing, and I think we definitely need to stay away from that and do a better job with cars, with tyres. Then you might start to see more racing, but not by just introducing so many pit stops." Those in the lower points-paying positions saw it the same. "I don't know about the front but in the midfield it backfired. I'm happy for everyone to try things. We tried it, for me it didn't work," said Williams' Carlos Sainz, who finished 10th after he and teammate Alex Albon manipulated their pace to secure an advantage. "It is not the way I like to race or how I dream about racing around Monaco." Supporters of the change could point to a greater uncertainty through the race, with added jeopardy and the ever-present risk of a safety car, and different strategies playing out. "Even if this was a zero-stop race... it's still a mega venue," said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff of a street circuit dripping with history and that harks back to the sport's earliest days. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Toby Davis)
Straits Times
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- Straits Times
Why not 10 stops? Verstappen says Monaco experiment failed
Formula One F1 - Monaco Grand Prix - Circuit de Monaco, Monaco - May 25, 2025 Red Bull's Max Verstappen before the race REUTERS/Jakub Porzycki Formula One F1 - Monaco Grand Prix - Circuit de Monaco, Monaco - May 25, 2025 Red Bull's Max Verstappen in action during the race REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq Formula One F1 - Monaco Grand Prix - Circuit de Monaco, Monaco - May 25, 2025 Red Bull's Max Verstappen in action during the race REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq MONACO - Formula One champion Max Verstappen ladled out a serving of sarcasm on Sunday as he declared Monaco's mandatory two-stop experiment a flop. The decision to force drivers to use three sets of tyres was taken in a bid to liven up a race famed for being processional and lacking overtaking. Spectators who saw any passing were probably hallucinating, with the top four finishing in their starting positions and the main tension provided by the hope of a safety car that never appeared. "Very exciting. I was on the edge of my seat every lap. It was fantastic," Verstappen, who finished fourth, told reporters without expecting anyone to take his words seriously. "Maybe next year four stops. I could have done four stops today and still finished P4." Speaking to Sky Sports television, Red Bull's four-times world champion went even further. "You can't race here. It doesn't matter what you do. One stop, 10 stops," he said. "Nowadays with an F1 car, you can just pass an F2 car around here. I get it but I don't think it's worked. We were almost doing Mario Kart. Then we have to install bits on the car and maybe you can throw bananas around. Slippery surface." Other drivers echoed the Dutch driver's sentiments. "The two-stop clearly did not work at all," said Mercedes' George Russell. McLaren's race winner Lando Norris gave a two-word answer when asked for his thoughts: "Hated it." That said, he said overtaking had always been difficult in Monaco and did not understand why people expected anything different. "I also think Formula One should not turn into just a show to entertain people. It's a sport. It's who can race the best, who can qualify the best," he said. "The last thing I want is manufactured racing, and I think we definitely need to stay away from that and do a better job with cars, with tyres. Then you might start to see more racing, but not by just introducing so many pit stops." Those in the lower points-paying positions saw it the same. "I don't know about the front but in the midfield it backfired. I'm happy for everyone to try things. We tried it, for me it didn't work," said Williams' Carlos Sainz, who finished 10th after he and teammate Alex Albon manipulated their pace to secure an advantage. "It is not the way I like to race or how I dream about racing around Monaco." Supporters of the change could point to a greater uncertainty through the race, with added jeopardy and the ever-present risk of a safety car, and different strategies playing out. "Even if this was a zero-stop race... it's still a mega venue," said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff of a street circuit dripping with history and that harks back to the sport's earliest days. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
