PSG fans honour Luis Enrique's daughter who passed away from cancer, Champions League-winning coach left ‘emotional’

A special moment followed PSG's 5-0 final victory, as PSG fans revealed a special message for Luis Enrique and his daughter Xana after their historic win.

It was a joyous night in Munich for all affiliated with Paris Saint-Germain, as the French club put forward one of the most memorable performances in UEFA Champions League history, romping to an unprecedented 5-0 demolition job of Inter Milan. Nonetheless, after a sparkling performance headlined by French teenager Desire Doue, PSG fans took a step to share a tender moment with coach Luis Enrique.

Right after the full-time whistle at the Allianz Arena, the PSG faithful unfurled a tifo that showed a hand-painted image of Enrique alongside his daughter Xana, who tragically passed away from a rare form of bone cancer in 2019, at the age of nine.

The tifo, or banner, displayed Enrique planting a blue-and-red PSG flag on a football field alongside Xana, wearing a PSG shirt with her name and the number eight. The image references an iconic photo of Enrique with his youngest daughter from 2015, where she waved an FC Barcelona flag after the Spaniard led that team to a treble-securing Champions League victory.

‘She’s always here…': Enrique remembers Xana

Ten years later, Enrique repeated the trick at the other end of Germany, with a different team, and with his daughter present alongside him nonetheless. Enrique, himself wearing a special shirt that showed Xana planting a PSG flag on a football field, was visibly emotional as he watched the fans unfurl that flag, and later spoke of how much the moment meant to him.

“It was very emotional. It was beautiful to think that the supporters have thought about me and my family, but I don’t need to win the Champions League, or any game, to think about my daughter,” said Enrique. “She’s here, supporting my family. We feel her presence, even when we lose. That’s my mentality, our mentality as a family. It was fantastic to see but I don’t need a trophy to think about my daughter. She’s always here.”

Enrique tasted Champions League success with Barcelona, but was the coach of the Spanish national team when Xana was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. Enrique took some time off from management to take care of his family in the harrowing days following Xana’s untimely passing away, before joining PSG in 2023. He accomplished his goal of leading the French club to their first Champions League title.

Enrique became only the second man to complete the European treble with two different teams, following in the footsteps of countryman Pep Guardiola. Having already won the French Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France with ease, PSG were truly imperious through their CL campaign, putting an exclamation mark on proceedings with the largest-ever margin of victory in a CL final. They became the first French team to complete the continental treble.