Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique said on Tuesday his side had “no doubts whatsoever” that it can rediscover the form that led it to UEFA Champions League glory last season as it prepares to face Chelsea in the last 16.
“We have no doubts whatsoever. We are going into the best part of the season and we need to be able to handle the step up,” the Spaniard told reporters at PSG’s training ground when asked whether his team could return to the level of performance it showed a year ago.
PSG welcomes Chelsea to the Parc des Princes on Wednesday in the first leg of its last-16 tie, as the sides meet for the first time since the English outfit’s 3-0 victory in last July’s FIFA Club World Cup final.
That was the only blemish on a remarkable last campaign for PSG, which saw the Qatar-backed club win the Champions League for the first time in its history.
ALSO READ | PSG gets Neves boost ahead of Chelsea match in Round of 16
But the demands of that marathon season have left a trace, with numerous players struggling for form and fitness in 2025-26.
PSG lost 3-1 at home to AS Monaco last weekend, a result which left it just a point clear of RC Lens at the top of Ligue 1.
It finished 11th in the league phase of the Champions League after winning just one of its last five matches, and then scraped past Monaco in the play-off round.
But Luis Enrique is hoping that meeting Chelsea can bring the best out of his team, which eliminated three Premier League sides in the knockout rounds on the way to last season’s final.
ALSO READ: Newcastle United vs Barcelona — Flick not underestimating Magpies before UCL clash
“All the English teams are exceptional, top-class sides, and Chelsea we know very well from having played against them last summer,” he said.
“They have changed coach since then and some players too, but we know how difficult these games are and we will try to be ready.”
The former FC Barcelona boss, who praised Chelsea coach Liam Rosenior for the “attractive and attacking” style he played during 18 months in Ligue 1 at RC Strasbourg, also said trying to retain the Champions League title was less daunting a prospect than winning it for the first time.
“I think the first time was harder but the second time is not easy — we all know we can win the second one and that is what we will try to do.”
Published on Mar 10, 2026
