Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has broken his silence following the chaotic scenes that erupted after Sunday’s Club World Cup final, accusing Chelsea forward João Pedro of dramatizing their confrontation.
The final, held in Saudi Arabia, saw Chelsea emerge as the inaugural champions of the revamped Club World Cup with a dominant 3–0 win over PSG. Cole Palmer starred with two goals and an assist for João Pedro, who sealed the victory with a third strike.
However, the closing moments of the match were overshadowed by a heated brawl involving players and coaching staff from both teams. Tensions boiled over after PSG’s João Neves received a straight red card for pulling Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella’s hair, triggering a mass altercation that spilled over after the final whistle.
Luis Enrique was captured on video during the melee appearing to make contact with João Pedro’s face, prompting the Chelsea player to fall to the ground. Spanish outlet SPORT later reported the PSG boss was heard telling staff, “I’m stupid. [Pedro]’s standing there, he pushes me, I touch him and he throws himself.”
In his post-match press conference, Enrique insisted he had no violent intent and was merely attempting to calm the situation. “What happened at the end of the match was a situation that everyone could have avoided,” he said. “I tried to separate the players; there was tension. We should have all prevented the situation from escalating. I have no problem speaking up.”
He added, “Everyone pushed and shoved. I saw [Enzo] Maresca push players, and people pushed him. These are situations we should all avoid. What I did was separate the players.”
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi came to his manager’s defense, stating: “We have the most disciplined and respectful coach in the world. He went to separate the ball and got pushed. You have to have respect for your coaches, too.”
João Pedro, however, told a different story. Speaking to Sportv, the Brazilian forward said the scuffle was triggered by PSG’s inability to handle the loss. “I went to protect Andrey [Santos],” he said. “I saw the players surrounding him. Like a good Brazilian, I went to protect a friend. A lot of people were arriving, and in that mess, I ended up getting shoved. It’s part of it. They didn’t know how to lose, I believe. Now it’s time to celebrate.”
Chelsea’s win cements their place in history as the first champions of FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup format, but the post-match controversy has left a sour aftertaste on what was otherwise a milestone achievement.
