"Xana is always with us": Luis Enrique remembers daughter with special T-shirt
In the hour of triumph, Luis Enrique remembers his deceased daughter. PSG fans also participate.
Luis Enrique wore a special T-shirt after the final whistle. Getty Images
After the historic 5-0 victory in the final against Inter Milan, the celebrations at Paris Saint-Germain knew no bounds. The evening at Munich's Allianz Arena became even more emotional when Luis Enrique donned a black T-shirt after the final whistle – one with a very special print.
Two figures were depicted, the smaller one holding a PSG flag. The motif depicted a stylized version of a scene from 2015. Back then, Luis Enrique had also just won the Champions League . On the pitch of Berlin's Olympic Stadium, the coach celebrated with his then five-year-old daughter Xana, who was wearing a Barca jersey and waving a club flag.
After winning the title again this Saturday, Luis Enrique used this special motif to commemorate his daughter, who died of a malignant bone tumor in 2019 at the age of just nine . To be there for Xana and his family, Luis Enrique resigned from his position as Spain national coach at the time. The family fought the cancer together for five months, but to no avail.
The fans also showed particular sensitivity, unveiling a large poster in the stands depicting Luis Enrique and his daughter in Paris jerseys with the PSG flag. "Xana is always with us. We always think of her, we love her. We carry her forever in our hearts," the 55-year-old said after the match on ZDF . "I think she would run among us here. It's a wonderful thought and nice to share it with family and friends."
His players cheered the coach, tossed him in the air, and exuberantly celebrated the first trophy in the club's history. Achraf Hakimi emphasized Luis Enrique's contribution in continually shaping PSG and leading them to the title with a steady improvement from 15th place in the group stage, which even involved a detour through the playoffs : "He changed everything. He has a different way of seeing football. After everything he's been through, it's great that he's been able to experience this. He deserves it more than anyone else."
