Luis Enrique’s frustration was easy to understand. “The international players, French and Spanish, arrived on Monday. It is only one week,” he said, painting a picture of a squad pulled together late and asked to perform immediately.
That is the awkward side of modern elite football. PSG arrive with the status of European champions, but status does not buy rhythm, freshness or training-ground cohesion. Finals in August can feel like a celebration and a trap at the same time: glamorous occasion, imperfect preparation.
Luis Enrique still struck a determined tone. “We prepared in the best way possible and we are happy to play this match,” he said, but he also made clear that the build-up “was not what it should have been.”
On Barcola, Luis Enrique gave little away. “I don’t know and I don’t want to talk about any individual player,” he said. “I stay focused on my team.”
That felt deliberate. Reports have linked Liverpool with the forward, but on the eve of a final the bigger question appears to be availability, not transfer gossip. The update says Barcola returned to the group earlier this week, and Luis Enrique added: “We will train today. We are trying to analyse everything and then we will take our decision.”
If Barcola is involved, even briefly, his pace and direct running could matter in a game where sharpness may be uneven.
Luis Enrique is not thinking small. “We established ambitious objectives and we continue doing that,” he said. “Everyone thinks we can win again. But we need to show our level on the pitch.”
That ambition was echoed by captain Marquinhos, who said the coach told the squad from day one they had “Everest to climb.”
The immediate climb is Aston Villa. After that, the next story will be whether PSG can turn a rushed summer into another deep Champions League push - and whether Barcola remains central to it.