There has long been debate over whether Ligue 1 should be considered one of the five major leagues in Europe, alongside the Premier League (England), LaLiga (Spain), Bundesliga (Germany), and Serie A (Italy). UEFA, for its part, doesn’t see it that way, as France doesn’t have four guaranteed spots in the Champions League. However, Luis Enrique aimed to highlight the quality of Ligue 1 after his PSG demolished the four Premier League teams they’ve faced in this season’s Champions League.

PSG dominates Premier League teams

It’s true that things didn’t start off well, as PSG lost at the Emirates Stadium against Arsenal during the group stage. However, they convincingly beat Manchester City in the most important game of the league phase when they were on the brink of elimination, and from then on, PSG has shown its dominance over Premier League teams in the knockout rounds.

After getting past Stade Brestois in the playoffs, PSG paid the price for a poor group stage and drew Liverpool in the round of 16, defeating them at Anfield after a penalty shootout. In the quarterfinals, though not without suffering at Villa Park, PSG managed to assert its superiority over Aston Villa. They did the same against an Arsenal side that had knocked out Real Madrid, the reigning champion, to reach the second Champions final in their history.

Luis Enrique praises Ligue 1

Despite some tough moments—something unavoidable for any team aiming to win the Champions—the reality is that PSG was clearly superior to Arsenal throughout the tie. That’s why, after the match, Luis Enrique was eager to highlight the quality of Ligue 1 when speaking to TNT Sports. “The Farmers’ League, right? We’re the Farmers’ League. But sometimes, that’s a good thing.”

Since arriving at PSG, and despite winning the two championships he’s competed in, Luis Enrique has consistently praised the competitive level of Ligue 1 teams. “My first opinion about Ligue 1 from the outside came from ignorance. You’d think the league was easy, manageable. But when you have the experience and work here, you see there are very good teams. It’s a physical and technical league, with good coaches. I really like it.”