As Paris Saint-Germain gear up for what could be their first-ever Champions League triumph, there’s some off-field drama brewing too.
Jamie Carragher, the former Liverpool defender turned pundit, has revealed that PSG manager Luis Enrique is likely to snub him ahead of the big final against Inter Milan.
And it’s all down to something that happened last season.
Why Luis Enrique Is Giving Carragher the Cold Shoulder
So here’s the backstory: last year, PSG were knocked out of the Champions League semi-finals by Borussia Dortmund, losing both legs 1-0. Carragher, who was covering the game for CBS, showed up at the Dortmund stadium proudly wearing a Borussia Dortmund scarf.
He even joined the fans in the famous “Yellow Wall” and later admitted he’d enjoyed about eight pints that night.
Carragher kept the scarf on as he entered the mixed zone for interviews after the match — and that didn’t sit well with Enrique, who was managing PSG at the time.
The Spaniard was so annoyed that he stormed out of a post-match interview with Carragher over it.
The Snub Confirmed and Some Pundit Humor
Carragher recently shared the whole story on the “It’s Called Soccer” podcast, explaining why Enrique won’t talk to him now.
Peter Schmeichel, another CBS pundit who was at the game, jokingly confirmed Enrique’s mood, saying Enrique is “in the sin bin” for the snub — a cheeky football reference implying he’s benched from social niceties.
It’s clear Enrique hasn’t forgotten that Dortmund scarf, and the tension lingers as PSG prepare to face Inter Milan in the Allianz Arena for the Champions League final.
Enrique’s Lighthearted Jabs Amid Serious Goals
Despite the tension with Carragher, Enrique has shown he can keep things light.
After PSG knocked out Barcelona last season, he poked fun at pundits, including those at CBS, who had expected Barcelona to advance.
“I’m really upset with all of you,” he joked.
“I watched on YouTube, all of you predicted that Barcelona were going through to the next phase.
Nobody believed in our possibilities. How sad I am, how sad I am.”
Now, Enrique’s PSG squad is on the cusp of making history.
They’ve already knocked out big names like Liverpool, Arsenal, and Aston Villa on their way to the final.
If they win on Saturday, they’ll become just the second French team ever to lift the Champions League trophy.