Luis Enrique makes bold claims about Tottenham after PSG win UEFA Super Cup
Thomas Frank’s Tottenham came agonizingly close to lifting the UEFA Super Cup in his competitive debut, only for Paris Saint-Germain to stage a dramatic late comeback before triumphing 5-4 on penalties.
The North Londoners had shocked the European champions with a commanding two-goal lead through Micky van de Ven’s first-half header and Cristian Romero’s second-half finish, showcasing the tactical discipline instilled by their new manager during preseason.
Luis Enrique offered a remarkably honest assessment after the match, admitting to TNT Sports that Tottenham “deserved to win” for 80 minutes of regulation time.
The PSG manager acknowledged his side’s sluggishness, attributing it to their limited six-day preparation period compared to Spurs’ six-week training camp.
“Football is sometimes unfair,” conceded Enrique, who watched his team transform from lethargic to lethal in the closing stages.
The French giants’ revival began in the 85th minute when Lee Kang-in unleashed a thunderous strike past Guglielmo Vicario.

As Tottenham legs tired, PSG’s superior squad depth proved decisive – substitute Gonçalo Ramos rose to meet Ousmane Dembélé’s inch-perfect cross in the 94th minute, sending the match to penalties.
The shootout drama saw PSG goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier emerge as the hero, denying Van de Ven before Mathys Tel’s crucial miss handed Nuno Mendes the opportunity to secure PSG’s fifth trophy of 2025.
Enrique reserved special praise for his new number one, highlighting the 23-year-old’s “big personality” in handling the pressure of his high-profile move from Lille.
For Tottenham, the defeat carried bittersweet revelations. Frank’s tactical blueprint successfully neutralized PSG’s attacking trident for most of the match, with Romero and Van de Ven forming an impenetrable barrier until fatigue set in.
The performance confirmed the squad’s potential while exposing its limitations – particularly the lack of impactful substitutes to maintain intensity against elite opposition.

Enrique’s gracious post-match comments underscored the quality of Spurs’ display: “We can feel they were in form… they played a great match.”
His admission that PSG’s victory felt “like a miracle” after being “very unlucky” for most of the game offers cold comfort to Tottenham, who now face urgent questions about squad reinforcement before the Premier League campaign begins.
The match ultimately served as both validation and warning for Frank’s project – demonstrating Tottenham can compete with Europe’s best when organized, while highlighting how quickly advantages can evaporate without sufficient depth.
As PSG celebrated their historic quintuple, Spurs were left to reflect on what might have been, and what needs to change to convert promising performances into silverware.