EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — For all the winning that Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) has done over the last 100 days, it appears their manager, Luis Enrique, has forgotten to lose gracefully.
Following Chelsea’s 3-0 upset drubbing of the powerhouse PSG — who had won Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, and the UEFA Champions League between April and May — Enrique, the Parisians’ manager, hit Chelsea star Joao Pedro in the face while trying to grab him by the throat, which sparked a post-match melee at midfield.
“My goal and my objective is always to separate footballers from greater problems,” Enrique, attempting to play damage control, said. “There was a lot of tension. I was trying to avoid any tension. I have no problem about expressing my feelings at the end of a game. I want to make it possible that my footballers don’t go to those extremes. This could have been avoided.”
Pedro, Chelsea’s newest signing from Brighton, who scored twice in the semifinal against Fluminense before adding the coup de grace in the 43rd, hit the pitch in pain, though he clearly made a meal of it.
LUIS ENRIQUE ATTACKS JOAO PEDRO 😱😱pic.twitter.com/CgdSWmB8XA
— Goals Side (@goalsside) July 13, 2025
Enrique was restrained by members of his club while his goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, was surrounded by blue Chelsea shirts.
“We had to separate all of the footballers,” Enrique continued. “I do not know where the tension came from. This is something we must all avoid.”
The sides were separated before the trophy presentation, which included Chelsea giving PSG a guard of honor as they received their runner-up medals.
“After the final whistle, I approached Luis to talk to him,” Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said. “I saw something was going on, but I didn’t see.”
