Barcelona is just hours away from facing the most important match of the season against Inter Milan, and at a stadium like the Giuseppe Meazza, where they have unfinished business to settle, with the clear goal of reaching a Champions League final for the first time in 10 years. Watching from afar will be Luis Enrique, who was asked whether he’d prefer to face Inter Milan or FC Barcelona in a potential final as head coach of a PSG side that will host Arsenal tomorrow at the Parc des Princes, holding a 1–0 advantage from the first leg at the Emirates Stadium.

"I don’t care to think about this semifinal"

The last time Barcelona reached the Champions League final was in the 2014/2015 season, when they defeated Juventus of Turin in the final held at the Olympiastadion in Berlin… with Luis Enrique sitting on the bench. Since then, ten years have passed, with both taking different paths. Barcelona is now rising from a deep financial and sporting crisis, while Luis Enrique has led PSG to their second consecutive Champions League semifinal — a first in the club's history.

Fate, always unpredictable, could lead to a Champions League final between FC Barcelona and PSG. A scenario that Luis Enrique may not exactly dream of, but he did not hesitate to share his preference when asked to choose between Inter Milan and Barcelona for a potential final opponent: “I don’t care to think about this semifinal. But I only wish for one thing in the final: that PSG is there. I have a past and this love I have for Barcelona will never disappear,” said Luis Enrique at a press conference.

Luis Enrique wants a Champions League final as a birthday gift

Without a doubt, Luis Enrique will be paying close attention to everything that happens tonight at the Giuseppe Meazza between Inter Milan and FC Barcelona. That said, he’s clear on one thing: regardless of the opponent, his wish is for PSG to reach the final in Munich, and to get there, they still have work to do against Arsenal. “It’s inevitable that we’ll suffer because our opponents didn’t get a favorable result. We need to match or improve upon our first-leg performance to win the second leg and stay true to our philosophy.”

There’s no doubt that Luis Enrique’s biggest wish is to take PSG to the Champions League final — and it would undoubtedly be the best birthday gift he could receive. Still, he hasn’t forgotten what happened last season against Borussia Dortmund and wants to learn from past mistakes: “I try not to think about it. But the same thing happened to me last year and I didn’t have a good day. Now a new opportunity arises. I’ll try to enjoy the match and pass on my mentality to the players. But if the result doesn’t go our way, I’ll accept it.”