Retired Arsenal centre-back Philippe Senderos recently reflected on his former side’s heartbreaking defeat in the UEFA Champions League final to Paris Saint-Germain.
The Gunners were defeated for the first and only time in their European campaign during a tense finale, falling 4-3 on penalties after grinding out a 1-1 draw over normal and extra time.
PSG’s Tactical Pivot Away from the Era of Superstars
The agonising penalty shootout failure denied Mikel Arteta’s side a historic continental trophy, but for Senderos, the match solidified the arrival of a true European dynasty in France.
When asked whether this current Paris Saint-Germain squad, having successfully secured back-to-back Champions League titles, deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Arrigo Sacchi’s legendary AC Milan or Pep Guardiola’s iconic Barcelona, the former Swiss international pointed directly to the cultural overhaul executed at the Parc des Princes.
“I think what the ownership, the Qataris, Luis Campos, and Luis Enrique have done over the last few seasons is really tremendous,” Senderos told Get French Football News.
“They went away from the big stars at Paris Saint-Germain and gave the reins to Luis Enrique, who said, ‘If you give me this power, I will do something special with it.’ And they backed him. They gave him young players, and what they’ve been able to achieve over the last couple of seasons has been fantastic.”
The Dawn of a Relentless New Era
Senderos emphasised that the structural pivot away from individual galácticos toward a collective, hungry core has fundamentally elevated the French club onto an entirely different tier of footballing history.
With the roster showing no signs of slowing down, the ex-defender expects the reigning champions to remain the dominant force on the continent for the foreseeable future.
“I think this is the beginning of a new era for Paris Saint-Germain,” Senderos concluded. “Winning two Champions Leagues takes them to a different level, and Luis Enrique is always ahead of the curve. He knows he’s got a very young squad.
“I think it has an average age of 24 years, and he can keep going for more and more years. He’s relentless as a coach, and he will not stop there and will continue to put the pressure on them and the will to win the third one at least.”