Luis Enrique pays emotional tribute to late daughter after Champions League win

Updated: 01 Jun, 2025 • 0 • min read

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Luis Enrique pays emotional tribute to late daughter after Champions League win

Photo: Reuters

Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique dedicated his team's historic Champions League victory to his late daughter Xana, in an emotional moment that touched football fans across the world.

The French giants lifted the European Cup for the first time in their history with a stunning 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan at the Allianz Arena in Munich.

Goals from Désiré Doué (2), Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Senny Mayulu sealed the record-breaking win, marking the biggest margin of victory ever in a Champions League final.

For Enrique, though, the result meant more than silverware.

It was also a moment to remember Xana, who tragically passed away in 2019 at the age of nine from osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer.

Xana's Spirit on the Pitch

As the final whistle blew, whilst Enrique embraced his wife Elena and their two children, Pacho and Sira, the Spaniard also made sure to include Xana in the celebration.

He changed into a black T-shirt bearing her name, with an image of two cartoon characters holding PSG flags - one small, one large - symbolising the bond between father and daughter.

In the stands, PSG fans unfurled a powerful tifo tribute: a large banner showing Xana, dressed in a PSG shirt, planting a flag into the centre circle next to her father - a touching nod to the real-life photo of Xana waving a Barcelona flag after the 2015 final.

PSG fans unfurl powerful tifo tribute to late daughter of their coach Luis Enrique

Photo: @Ligue1_ENG

"She's Always With Us"

In his post-match press conference, Enrique fought back tears as he spoke about the tribute.

It was very emotional. It was beautiful to think that the supporters thought about me and my family.

I don't need to win a game or the Champions League to think about my daughter. I think about her every day. She is with our family and I feel her presence even when we are losing.

It is about thinking about what we had together, thinking about the positives from the negatives for me and family.

Xana is always with us. We always think of her, we love her. We carry her forever in our hearts.

A Legacy Beyond Football

This is Enrique's second Champions League title, having previously led Barcelona to the treble in 2015 - a moment famously shared with Xana on the pitch.

Now, a decade later, he has achieved the same feat with PSG, once again carrying his daughter with him.

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