Category: 6. Sports

What’s the story

Bangladesh leveled the three-ODI series against Sri Lanka with a hard-fought victory in the second match.
Left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam’s brilliant bowling performance took the visitors to a 16-run win in Colombo.
He took five wickets for just 39 runs, proving instrumental in restricting Sri Lanka, who were chasing 249.
Tanvir became the second Bangladesh bowler with a fifer vs Sri Lanka in ODIs.

The Governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike, officially opened the MOWA Heritage Athletics Exhibition Tokyo 2025 on Sunday (6). The exhibition is being staged for 11 weeks in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) building.

The TMG’s headquarters is a landmark skyscraper complex which, in addition to temporarily hosting the Museum of World Athletics (MOWA), offers visitors a 45th floor public observatory platform with spectacular views across the skyline of Tokyo.

The TMG building is situated just three metro stations – a six-minute journey – away from the National Stadium where the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 will take place from 13-21 September.

Distinguished gathering

The opening ceremony was honoured by an exclusive gathering of invited guests.

In addition to Governor Koike, among those actively participating in the ceremony were World Athletics Council Member Yuko Arimori, 2004 Olympic marathon gold medallist Mizuki Noguchi and Japan’s first world champion Hiromi Taniguchi, the Tokyo 1991 marathon winner.

The Japanese team was represented by Naoki Koyama, who will line up in the marathon during the World Athletics Championships in September. Mitsugi Ogata, President of the WCH Tokyo 25 local organising committee, made up the distinguished cast of participants.

The ceremony began with a welcoming address by Arimori, a two-time Olympic medallist and newly elected President of the Japan Association of Athletics Federations, who was representing World Athletics President Sebastian Coe.

In response, Governor Koike delivered her welcome on behalf of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

Tokyo awarded World Athletics Heritage Plaque

In this prestigious context, World Athletics announced the award of the World Athletics Heritage Plaque to Tokyo, in the category “City”, with Arimori presenting the honour to the Governor. The plaque serves as a lasting tribute to Tokyo’s central role in the development and celebration of athletics worldwide.

In a statement read out by Arimori, World Athletics President Coe commented: “Tokyo’s credentials as a World Athletics Heritage City are beyond question. The host to the 1964 and 2020 Olympic Games and the 1991 and 2025 World Athletics Championships, Tokyo has historically been the stage for great competitions and has witnessed numerous world records.

“Bob Hayes, Abebe Bikila, Ann Packer, Betty Cuthbert, Carl Lewis, Mike Powell, Karsten Warholm, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Yulimar Rojas are just a few of the track and field greats, both past and present, whose performances in the Japanese capital have created headlines around the world.

“Annually, 38,000 runners also take to the streets of the Japanese capital. In a country where the marathon race is a sacred sporting tradition, the Tokyo Marathon is rightfully one of the World Marathon Majors.

“Yet among all other reasons, the heroic staging of the rescheduled 2020 Olympic Games during the pandemic exemplifies the unique contribution that Tokyo has made to the history of our sport.

“Congratulations, Tokyo, on the award of this exceptionally well-deserved honour.”

The World Athletics Heritage Plaque awarded to Tokyo (© Getty Images)

Tokyo 1991 to Tokyo 2025

A highlight of this MOWA exhibition is the first-ever public display of the gold, silver and bronze medals from both editions of the World Athletics Championships held in Tokyo. The two sets embody the continuity of Tokyo’s deep-rooted legacy in global athletics and its renewed commitment as host of this year’s championships.

During the ceremony on Sunday, a historic photograph was taken of the two golds, with the Tokyo 1991 medal held by Taniguchi and Arimori alongside Koike and Ogata, who posed with the equivalent from Tokyo 2025.

Arimori donates Olympic shoes to MOWA

Arimori marked the opening of the exhibition by generously donating her Barcelona Olympic Games marathon shoes, which she wore when taking silver in 1992, to the collection of the Museum of World Athletics. She presented her donation to the Governor, who received the shoes on behalf of the MOWA. The shoes will go on display on Monday (7) when the exhibition opens to the public.

Yuko Arimori donates her Barcelona Olympic Games marathon shoes to the MOWA (© Getty Images)

Arimori made her marathon debut in 1990 and set a national record on her second attempt. The 1991 World Championships was a turning point in her career, as she finished fourth in the women’s marathon, a performance that set the stage for her global breakthrough.

Reflecting on her personal connection to the World Athletics Championships, Arimori commented: “I remember vividly the great excitement of watching on television the first World Athletics Championships, which were staged in Helsinki in 1983. Then, eight years later, I felt enormous pride when the championships came to Tokyo for the first time.

“I was competing in the marathon and finished fourth, while in second place Sachiko Yamashita took Japan’s first-ever World Championships medal. Then, on the last day of those 1991 championships, Taniguchi courageously won the men’s marathon, Japan’s first-ever gold medal.”

Coached by Yoshio Koide (recipient in 2019 of the World Athletics Heritage Plaque in the posthumous category of ‘Legend’), Arimori went on to win not only silver at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics but bronze four years later in Atlanta, becoming the first Japanese woman to claim two medals in the event. Arimori’s achievements elevated the status of women’s distance running in Japan, and she now serves as a member of the World Athletics Council.

Ribbon cut

Sunday’s ceremony, which included archive footage of the 1991 and 2023 World Athletics Championships and the global victories of Taniguchi and Noguchi, concluded with the Governor and her fellow principal cutting the ribbon to officially open the exhibition.

World Athletics Heritage

Colin Hattersley

Saskia Coulson

Stranraer water sports hub

The Wallabies have claimed victory in their first Test for 2025 after a Harry Wilson try in the 79th minute sealed a 21-18 win over Fiji at McDonald Jones Stadium.

In front of a record rugby crowd of 28,132 in Newcastle, the Wallabies raced to a 14-0 lead but were forced to dig deep after a second half barrage from the Flying Fijians.

The tourists swept to the lead with 25 minutes remaining after scoring 18 unanswered points before Wilson’s late, spinning move close to the line steered the Wallabies home.

The Wallabies were hungry for early points and nearly found their way through Harry Potter, who just couldn’t collect the cross-field kick.

It reflected a first half dominated by the hosts but couldn’t capitalise on their opportunities, with several tries disallowed.

Dave Porecki got Australia on the board via the rolling maul after Langi Gleeson was held up. Eight minutes later, Potter was denied again after the final pass from Tom Wright was judged to have travelled forward. The Wallabies were controlling territory but had another try disallowed for a crooked lineout throw.

The pressure eventually delivered points when slick hands from centres Len Ikitau and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii created the space for Fraser McReight to dive over.

With the hosts in control, an errant kick right at half time gave Fiji a chance to counter as Salesi Rayasi went over to reduce the lead to 14-5 at the break.

The second half started as the first began with another Wallabies try denied – this time to Max Jorgensen after a forward pass from Wright to Harry Potter, who chipped ahead for his fellow winger.

This provided the window for Fiji to hit back, starting with a Caleb Muntz penalty to reduce the margin to under a converted try.

The door was then opened for winger Jiuta Wainiqolo to produce some magic to put the visitors in front. The Toulon winger collected the ball inside his 22 and broke through multiple defenders before throwing a magic offload for Lekima Tagitagivalu to dive over in the corner.

With all the momentum, Fiji looked to have scored again through Sireli Maqala, however, the hosts were saved after Potter’s foot was in touch before the turnover.

It went from bad to worse for the hosts after a nasty whiplash incident left flyhalf Noah Lolesio injured in the build-up.

Another Fiji penalty extended the margin to four points as the hosts held tough in defence.

The Fijians threw everything trying to seal the win as the Wallabies kept forcing turnovers.

It gave them a last chance to find a winner as several penalties put them on the five-metre line.

Up stepped the captain, spinning his way over the line and finding the chalk with 90 seconds to go for the winner,

Wallabies 21 (Porecki, McReight, Wilson tries; Lolesio 2, Donaldson conversions) defeated Fiji 18 (Rayesi, Tagitagivalu tries; Muntz conversions; Muntz 2 penalties)

2025 Wallabies Tests

Wallabies 21 defeated Fiji 18 on Sunday July 6 at McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle

British & Irish Lions Tour

Wallabies v British & Irish Lions at 7:45pm AEST on Saturday July 19 at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

Wallabies v British & Irish Lions at 7:45pm AEST on Saturday July 26 at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne

Wallabies v British & Irish Lions at 7:45pm AEST on Saturday August 2 at Accor Stadium, Sydney

The Flight Centre Rugby Championship/Bledisloe Cup

Wallabies v South Africa at 1:10am AEST on Sunday August 17 at Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg

Wallabies v South Africa at 1:10am AEST on Sunday August 24 at DHL Stadium, Cape Town

Wallabies v Argentina at 2:30pm AEST on Saturday September 6 at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville

Wallabies v Argentina at 2:00pm AEST on Saturday September 13 at Allianz Stadium, Sydney

Wallabies v New Zealand at 3:05pm AEST on Saturday September 27, Eden Park, Auckland

Wallabies v New Zealand at 5:45pm AWST on Saturday October 4 at Optus Stadium, Perth

Spring Tour

Wallabies v Japan at TBC on Saturday October 25 at National Stadium, Tokyo

Wallabies v England, at 2:10am AEDT on Sunday November 2 at Allianz Stadium, London

Wallabies v Italy at 4:40am AEDT on Sunday November 9 at TBC

Wallabies v Ireland at 7:10am AEDT on Sunday November 16 at Aviva Stadium, Dublin

Wallabies v France at 7:10am on Sunday November 23 at TBC

CNN
 — 

There is a Diogo Jota performance that many Liverpool supporters will remember above all others.

In October 2022, with the Reds struggling badly for form, Jota and Co. came up against a Manchester City team that would go on to win a historic treble that season.

A month before the 2022 men’s World Cup – the tournament Jota later said was “one of his dreams” to play in – many players might have taken it easy for fear of injuring themselves.

Not Jota.

The Portuguese forward did not contribute a goal or an assist, but he played 100 minutes and battled to win the ball back on countless occasions. Liverpool won 1-0, but Jota’s tireless performance saw him go down with an injury in the final minute. He would go on to miss the World Cup.

With the tournament set to come around again next year, Jota would very likely have finally fulfilled that dream in 2026.

That opportunity, along with the far more important chance to experience life as a young father and newlywed, was cruelly snatched from the 28-year-old on Thursday morning when he and his brother, André Silva, died in a car crash in northwestern Spain.

Hunger and bravery

Maybe Jota would have avoided the injury against Manchester City if he had stayed out of the difficult tackles. But that is not the kind of player he was.

“The way he played the game was full of this sort of scampering energy. … He would hunt the ball down aggressively, and he’d hunt space down aggressively.” Neil Atkinson, CEO and host of The Anfield Wrap, told CNN Sports’ Amanda Davies.

Jota’s technical gifts – while remarkably apparent at times – were not on the level of those of some of his teammates. But it was that willingness to fight that made him such a popular figure on Merseyside, and the reason why it has been difficult to go to a Liverpool game in the last few years and not hear the crowd’s famous song for him.

“They loved that work ethic, that sheer desire, and the fact that he had almost a sense of mischief about him in the manner of his goals as well,” Atkinson said. “And I think that very much endeared him to the supporters.”

The Portuguese international was vocal about his philosophy of hard work on the pitch.

“As a fan – I was a fan myself – you want to see a player fighting for the club, for the badge that they both love,” he said in a video which was released by Liverpool on Thursday following the news of his death.

But that tenacity was not just limited to his attitude on the field. As a young player struggling for games at one of the biggest clubs in the world – Atlético Madrid – the forward opted to join Wolverhampton Wanderers, a team which, at that time, was in the Championship, the second tier of English soccer.

His bravery was rewarded as he became one of the best players in the team, eventually signing for Liverpool in 2020.

It was at Liverpool where Jota appeared to find particular kinship with a city that, like him, has often had to fight.

In 1981, after riots began in Liverpool as a result of tensions between police and the Black community, then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was secretly urged by her finance minister, Geoffrey Howe, to pursue a policy of “managed decline” with reference to the city.

According to Howe, spending public money on the city would be like “trying to make water flow uphill.”

Eight years later, when the Hillsborough disaster claimed the lives of 97 Liverpool supporters at an FA Cup semifinal, the city once again felt the brunt of the establishment.

Both the local police and some sections of the British media blamed Liverpool fans. Despite tireless campaigning by the victims’ families, it would take until 2016 for an inquest to rule that those who died were unlawfully killed and that fan behavior did not cause or contribute to the disaster.

Liverpool is a club that has had more than its fair share of tragedy. Less than six weeks ago, a car rammed into a crowd of people at a parade to celebrate the club’s Premier League title win, injuring dozens of people, including children.

In the face of this latest tragedy Thursday morning, the city will once again come together to grieve.

“The only way to get through this is to get through it together,” Atkinson said.

The importance of that collectiveness was echoed by another Liverpool fan, Sally – who did not give her surname when she spoke to CNN Sports’ Matias Grez outside Anfield on Thursday.

“You stick together because that’s the only way it’s going to work,” she said. “That’s the community spirit. It’s not just Liverpool, it’s Everton as well. Rivalries aside, times like this everyone comes together. It doesn’t matter who you support.”

Indeed, among the hundreds of scarves, flowers and messages that were left for Jota and his brother outside Anfield, items laid by fans of Everton, Liverpool’s local rival, were visible.

“I’m not really a massive one for social media, so I hadn’t seen any of what I’m now seeing in front of me,” another supporter, Simon Walker, told CNN in reference to the tributes left at the stadium. “But I’m not surprised in the slightest because this is how this club and this city operates.”

To say that Jota – a man who grew up in a small town outside Porto, 886 miles (1426 kilometers) away – fit well in Liverpool would be an understatement.

That affinity extended to some of the less-Portuguese pastimes. In tribute posts on social media, former teammates Andy Robertson and Caoimhín Kelleher both referenced their surprise at Jota’s enjoyment of darts and horse racing, with Robertson even jokingly referring to him as “Diogo MacJota.”

“You could relate to him,” Sally, the Liverpool supporter who spoke to CNN, said Thursday. “You could tell he was a down-to-earth fella. He was very humble. He wasn’t showy-offy. He was just very much a family man.

“I think that’s what relates everyone in the city to him, because we’re all like a family.”

The funeral for the 28-year-old and his brother took place in their hometown of Gondomar on Saturday morning. The pain that their family, Jota’s wife and their three children are experiencing far exceeds that of those who marveled from afar at his performances on a soccer pitch.

But it is a testament to Jota’s spirit and tenacity that Liverpool too is grieving the loss of one of its most beloved sons.

The livewire scrumhalf, who scored two first-half tries in the Boks’ 42-24 victory, said that although the accolade was memorable, they had to go back to the drawing board and lift their standards significantly ahead of their next match.

The teams will meet again at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha on Saturday, 12 July, before the Boks wrap up their July campaign against Georgia at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit a week later on 19 July.

“It was special to be named man of the match and to score my first Test try, but for me, the most important thing is always to serve the team to the best of my ability,” said Van den Berg.

“We know we could have performed much better on the day, although we always expected it to be an arm wrestle, especially if one looks at some of Italy’s results in the last two seasons and the way they started the Six Nations.

“That said, it was exactly the match we needed to measure where we are compared to where we want to and need to be, so we took valuable lessons from the game.”

Looking forward to their next outing against the Azzurri on Saturday, Van den Berg said there was hard work ahead this week to raise the standard of their game immensely.

“Everyone now knows what Italy can do, and I don’t think the public will underestimate them again this week, but at the same time, we also know we were off the pace and that we need a massive step-up in all areas of our game,” said the nippy scrumhalf.

“We let ourselves down, and leaked three tries, which is not good enough, so we will go back to the drawing board tomorrow and do everything we can to rectify the areas that need to improve on because Italy and Georgia are both physical and passionate teams, and it is vital for us to get back on track.”

The Springboks departed for Gqeberha on Sunday and will begin their on-field preparations for the match on Monday.

Published:
Saturday, 05 July 2025

• TSG to be led by Raul Chipenda and will feature Shilene Booysen, Lamia Boumehdi and Clementine Touré, among others
• Team to share technical & tactical insights on all 26 matches
• Group to produce a post-tournament technical report

The Confédération Africaine de Football (“CAF”) has unveiled the Technical Study Group (TSG) for the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Morocco 2024.

The Technical Study Group (TSG) of the WAFCON 2024 Confédération Africaine de Football (“CAF”) is a team of experienced football experts, former coaches, technical directors, instructors, and analysts, tasked with studying, analysing, and documenting CAF competitions.

They will analyse tactical trends, playing systems, and individual and team performances, producing detailed technical reports that summarize these observations. These reports not only highlight strategies and best practices but also provide practical recommendations to CAF Member Associations, coaches, and development departments to help elevate the standard of the game across the continent.

In addition to analysis and reporting, the TSG will select official awards such as “Woman of the Match,” “Best XI,” and the tournament’s best player, goalkeeper, or young talent. They will also contribute to CAF’s broader technical strategy by supporting coaching education, creating learning materials, and sharing findings from tournaments through workshops and courses.

Ultimately, the TSG’s work helps align CAF’s development initiatives with CAF’s development strategy, ensuring continuous improvement in coaching standards, player development, and the overall quality of football in Africa.

The TSG members for WAFCON 2024, led by the director of CAF Technical development division, Raul Chipenda, are also tasked with providing a Fair play report after each match.

Meet the TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON 2024 Technical Study Group:

Sheryl Botes (South Africa)

A senior CAF coaching instructor and long-standing women’s football advocate, Botes brings decades of experience in technical development, coach education, and tournament analysis across the continent. Currently, Sheryl is serving as the head coach of the Uganda women’s national team. 

Leah Sweetness (South Africa)

With a strong background in women’s football development, Sweetness is a CAF-certified instructor and former player dedicated to nurturing young talent and advancing the women’s game in southern Africa. She is the TSG lead for the COSAFA Zone.

Lamia Boumehdi (Morocco)

A former coach of the Morocco U20 Women’s National Team, Boumehdi has been instrumental in the rise of Moroccan women’s football, contributing both at club and national levels with a focus on technical excellence and youth progression. She guided TP Mazembe to a first ever CAF Women’s Champions League title 2024.

Radia Fertoul (Algeria)

A former head coach of the Algerian women’s national team, Fertoul is a respected tactician with rich experience in North African football. She has also served as a development coach and mentor for young female athletes.

Jacqueline Shipanga (Namibia)

One of the most recognisable figures in Namibian football, Shipanga is a CAF and FIFA coaching instructor and former Brave Gladiators coach, known for her leadership in both technical and administrative roles. Shipanga is the technical director of the NFA, the only women to occupy the role in our continent currently.

Shilene Booysen (South Africa)

Booysen is a highly regarded tactician with experience coaching South Sudan’s women’s national team and as a former analyst for Banyana Banyana. Her deep analytical approach makes her a key member of the group.

Clementine Touré (Côte d’Ivoire)

She is the former head coach of Côte d’Ivoire’s women’s national team, Touré is a trailblazer in African women’s football. She led Equatorial Guinea to the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup and has vast experience at WAFCON level. She also served as TSG in both 2019 and 2023 FIFA Women World Cups.

Bernadette Anong (Cameroon)

A former Indomitable Lioness and current coach, Anong is deeply involved in talent development in Cameroon. She brings a blend of tactical insight and player-centred analysis to the TSG. Anong was part of the coaching staff that lead the Cameroon women national team to their First World Cup and Olympic qualifications.

The TSG’s work will be published in a post-tournament technical report that will inform future training, talent identification, and development programmes across the continent.

As the TotalEnergies TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Morocco 2024 kicks off on Saturday, 05 July, the TSG team will be at the heart of CAF’s mission to deepen the understanding of the women’s game and further elevate its standards.

For more information on the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2024, visit www.cafonline.com.

For further Inquiries:

communications@cafonline.com

CAF | Communication Department

Before the 2025 Champions League final, Paris Saint-Germain was a side known for wilting under the pressure of high expectations.

In previous years, even with Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in the starting XI, PSG could not get past the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich or Manchester City in Europe’s top club competition. 

Over the last decade, PSG was like the star Hollywood actor accustomed to being snubbed on Oscar night: rich and powerful, talented and ambitious, but ultimately judged as second best to more established colleagues. Until the team’s glorious display in Munich on May 31, a 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan, this club was the Leonardo Di Caprio of European football. 

Di Caprio won his first Oscar in 2016 after years of hearing someone else’s name as the winner was revealed. It is fitting, then, that Di Caprio’s Oscar win came after his performance in The Revenant, a survival drama where he plays resilient frontiersman Hugh Glass.

On Saturday in Atlanta, one of the most anticipated games of this novel Club World Cup saw Bayern Munich, the intimidating German champions, pummel PSG for nearly 80 minutes. PSG striker Desire Doue ended the match battered and bloodied. 

Throughout long stretches of the match, Bayern’s physical and relentless aggression tamed the talented French side. PSG had to dig even deeper after Doue’s 78th-minute goal was followed by red cards for Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernandez. 

Resilience was what kept Di Caprio’s Glass alive in the frigid temperatures of the American wilderness. Under the air-conditioned roof of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, resilience kept PSG alive in the Club World Cup in the American South.  

“We’ve spoken a lot about resilience and we are a resilient team,” said PSG head coach Luis Enrique after the win. “We’re prepared to compete in any situation. The result doesn’t matter. We suffered a lot during this past season. But we suffered together.

“We weren’t as efficient as we could’ve been, both during league play and in the Champions League. But we showed our team spirit. We fight together.”

The day before, Enrique had reminded the French press in Atlanta that they had often criticized his young team — and particularly PSG’s front line — during the Ligue 1 season. He may have reason to riposte, but before their impressive win in the Champions League final, PSG underwhelmed in league play and, initially, underachieved in Europe. 

Losses to Atletico Madrid, Arsenal and Bayern led to a 15th-place finish in the overall table before the Champions League knockout round. Enrique’s side were not as well drilled as they appear to be today. For a while, it looked as if PSG and their Spanish coach were on the same path as his predecessors Mauricio Pochettino and Thomas Tuchel — big names who fell short.

Yet, after recovering to lift the Champions League trophy, PSG’s next challenge was to sustain their success.

The club embodied the type of European power that could have looked upon the Club World Cup as a nuisance after a tiring season. Instead, as one of the youngest squads at the competition, PSG is rewriting its own history.

Leading 1-0 but down two men late on, PSG still pushed for a second goal. A team replete with young flair players like Doue, 20, Bradley Barcola, 22, Vitinha, 25 and Joao Neves 20, weathered Bayern’s frenzied search for an equalizer in a stadium on the verge of bedlam after each attacking sequence. 

After a fantastic individual move by Achraf Hakimi, second-half substitute Ousmane Dembele smashed home the decisive second goal from close range six minutes into added time at the end. Dembele blew kisses towards his Moroccan team-mate before they embraced, as they celebrated their passage to the semifinals.

It was the culmination of a professional performance that was far from flawless. Bayern were sharper, but PSG’s players had revenge on their minds. In football, those emotional motivators are often the difference when tactics and principles of play are so evenly matched. 

A motivated Barcola had revenge on his mind against Bayern (Sven Hoppe / picture alliance via Getty Images)

“Revenge? Maybe a little,” Barcola said on the eve of the quarterfinal. “It’s our biggest source of motivation right now.” 

Barcola epitomizes the confidence that oozes from PSG’s dressing room. It’s not arrogance, although it can be mistaken as such. PSG is a brash outfit of highly-skilled internationals who do not want to be mentioned in the same breath as the club’s disappointing sides of the past. A 1-0 loss at the Allianz Arena during the Champions League group stage in November was a turning point in PSG’s season, Barcola said.

At that point, PSG were on the ropes yet again in Europe. 

“It’s really that feeling of revenge because we lost at their place,” continued Barcola. “It was very tough for us, even afterwards, but that’s why we really have the desire to win. I think it’s that loss that hurt us. It made us realize that, at that moment, we didn’t have many chances left to continue in the Champions League. And it motivated us even more to push even harder.”

PSG’s win over Inter finally put an end to the notion that the perennial French champions were overqualified domestically, but ill-prepared mentally for Europe’s top club competition. Saturday’s win over Bayern reinforced the point. There is a mental fortitude to this group. This is a team of true champions.

“We can really learn from this match because it took us out of our comfort zone,” said PSG captain Marquinhos. “We had a few chances that we missed and some dangerous balls that gave them some chances. These little things will help us grow moving forward. And this shows the mentality of our group, because that’s something we talk about a lot.

“Winning is already very difficult — but continuing to win is even harder. That’s the mentality we have.” 

Captain Marquinhos and Enrique appear in determined mood heading into the semifinals (Rich von Biberstein / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Efficiency in front of goal, Marquinhos said, was the difference on the day. But when he was asked where the newfound attitude comes from, the Brazilian international wasted no time in crediting his manager. 

“Our coach — he brought his philosophy, his mindset, and he prepared the team very well from the first day he arrived,” Marquinhos said. “He started from scratch with how he wanted us to play. He worked on improving the team mentally so we’d be ready for anything that could happen during a match.” 

We’ve all seen the video of Enrique’s inspired speech, in which he told Kylian Mbappe that, in order to become a truly great leader, he’d have to emulate NBA great Michael Jordan. 

“I’ve read that you like Michael Jordan,” Enrique told the then PSG striker. “Michael Jordan grabbed all his team-mates by the balls and defended like a son of a b****. You have to set that example first — as a person and as a player — by pressing.” 

It took time for PSG to adopt Enrique’s demands. The talent was there; this team is gifted in nearly every position. They rebuilt and reset after Mbappe left for Real Madrid. And the commitment to the collective over the individual star was a drastic shift from the PSG of old.

On Friday, Enrique was told that Dembele had discussed the freedom that the player enjoys on the pitch in an interview with PSG’s social media team. “It’s not just about playing well or doing your part — it has to benefit the team,” said the coach. “And that involves a set of responsibilities and hard work.

“If people want to call that ‘freedom’, then freedom is fighting for your team-mate. Freedom is fighting for your team. Freedom is fighting for your club — playing football, which is what we’re aiming for.”

Madrid are next, in a massive semifinal at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

A reunion with Mbappe will fuel the run-up to the match. But can a battle-tested PSG go from conquering Europe to conquering the world? 

(Top photo: Sven Hoppe / picture alliance via Getty Images)