Louis van Gaal (74), the legendary Dutch coach, attracted attention by stating that Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), the team of Lee Kang-in, has become even stronger after the stars left.

On the 30th (Korea time), van Gaal praised PSG, led by coach Luis Enrique, in an interview with France's 'Journal du Dimanche,' stating it is "excellent even without stars."

PSG has discarded its star system following the departures of Kylian Mbappe (27, Real Madrid), Neymar (33, Santos), and Lionel Messi (38, Inter Miami). Instead, they appointed coach Enrique and focused on building an organization centered around younger players.

Enrique's PSG won 1-0 against Arsenal in the first leg of the 2024-2025 UEFA Champions League (UCL) semifinals, held at the Emirates Stadium in London, thanks to an early goal by Ousmane Dembélé in the 4th minute of the first half.

With this win, PSG can advance to the Champions League final by simply securing a draw in the second leg, which will be held at their home ground, Parc des Princes in Paris, on May 8.

PSG's only previous appearance in a Champions League final was during the 2019-2020 season. At that time, PSG, led by current England coach Thomas Tuchel, finished as runners-up after losing 1-0 to Bayern Munich, coached by current Barcelona coach Hansi Flick. Lee Kang-in did not participate.

Van Gaal was asked whether PSG is stronger now than during the Mbappe-Messi-Neymar trio era. Unlike in the past, when they were built around global stars, PSG is now constructing its squad around younger players.

In response, van Gaal stated, "The team is much more balanced now without any stars," adding, "There is a charismatic coach with his own philosophy. Luis Enrique has unified this team and this club. He certainly deserves to enjoy the current success."

Enrique, who leads PSG, had a mentor-student relationship with coach van Gaal during his playing career (1996-2004) at Barcelona. Van Gaal managed Barcelona on two occasions (1997-2000, 2002-2003).

Van Gaal also emphasized, "This PSG is excellent even without stars. It seems the club management has finally realized that they can gain everyone's recognition without a global star and that no player can be above the club."

He added, "Now, above all, the club is the priority," stating that this approach has finally given PSG the foundation to realize its ambitions on the European stage.

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