Luis Enrique (55), the manager who led Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to the UEFA Champions League (UCL) final, has retaliated against the mocking views of Ligue 1 in French professional football.

PSG, led by Enrique, defeated Arsenal 2-1 in the second leg of the 2024-2025 UEFA Champions League semifinals, held at Parc des Princes in Paris, France, on the 8th (Korea Time).

With this, PSG, which won the first leg 1-0, advanced to the final stage with an aggregate score of 3-1. PSG, which was satisfied with reaching the semifinals in the first season under Enrique in the 2023-2024 season, has taken another step forward.

PSG is now just one match away from the coveted Champions League title, a dream they have pursued for five years since the 2019-2020 season. If they defeat Inter Milan, who became the final opponent by overcoming Barcelona, PSG can achieve the historic milestone of winning their first Champions League title.

In particular, PSG has defeated all four Premier League teams in this Champions League, including Manchester City, Liverpool, Aston Villa, and Arsenal in the league phase.

This also demonstrates the competitiveness of Ligue 1, which has been belittled as the "Farmers' League." Fans of major leagues like the Premier League, La Liga, and Bundesliga have often derided Ligue 1, claiming it is a level where farmers play football after work.

As PSG has continued to dominate the league with overwhelming power, the perception that other teams are relatively weaker has led to such expressions.

After the match, Enrique, in an interview with TNT Sports, noted, "They say it’s a Farmers’ League? We are the Farmers' League," adding, "But I feel good. Everyone is talking about our team, and it's enjoyable to hear praise for our mentality and playing style."

He continued regarding Arsenal, "Mikel Arteta is a good friend. However, I completely disagree with the claim that Arsenal deserved to win," stating, "Arsenal played the game the way they wanted and like that way. But we scored more goals in the aggregate of the first and second legs. That's what matters most."

Enrique also expressed pride, saying, "Arsenal played really well, and we suffered a lot. But we deserve to go to the final."

The leap by PSG has relied heavily on the performance of the defense, including goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. He remarked, "How can you win the Champions League without a great goalkeeper?" adding, "Today, Donnarumma was really outstanding. Just like in the match against Liverpool, he was excellent in every game. How can you win the Champions League without good defense? Today's defense was also fantastic."

PSG faced the risk of early elimination after losing three of the first five matches in the league phase. However, they successfully revived by securing a victory against Manchester City in January.

Enrique stated, "The turning point was probably the match against Manchester City. We were trailing 0-2 in that game," while emphasizing, "But looking at the league phase statistics, we were among the best in Europe. We are a team that rightfully advanced to the final."

Regarding their final opponent, Inter, Enrique mentioned, "Inter has more experience and older players than us," adding, "But we want to win, and we will approach the final with that mindset."

He also remarked, "It will be a tough game. Of course, the same goes for the opponent. It will be an interesting final, a very difficult match for both teams. A special moment for us and for Inter," adding, "They have reached the final for the second time in three years. They are a great team. We have time to prepare, and now is a time to celebrate."

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