Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has addressed the chaotic scenes that erupted after Chelsea’s emphatic 3–0 win in the Club World Cup final on Sunday, claiming that João Pedro exaggerated their physical encounter.
The match, held under the revamped Club World Cup format, saw Chelsea dominate with a stellar first-half performance. Cole Palmer netted twice and assisted Pedro for the third goal, cementing the Blues as the first-ever champions of the new-format tournament.
However, the celebratory mood was tainted by an ugly post-match brawl involving players and staff from both sides.
Tensions reached a boiling point after João Neves was shown a straight red card for pulling Marc Cucurella’s hair, triggering a melee that escalated after the final whistle.
Enrique: “He throws himself”
Luis Enrique was caught on camera making contact with João Pedro’s face during the scuffle, leading to the Chelsea forward dramatically falling to the ground. Footage also surfaced of Enrique telling his staff:
“I’m stupid. [Pedro]’s standing there, he pushes me, I touch him and he throws himself.” — via SPORT
In his post-match press conference, Enrique defended his actions, insisting he was only trying to defuse the situation:
“What happened at the end of the match was a situation that everyone could have avoided. I tried to separate the players; there was tension. We should have all prevented the situation from escalating. I have no problem speaking up.”
He added, “Everyone pushed and shoved players. I saw [Enzo] Maresca push players, and people pushed him. These are situations we should all avoid. What I did was separate the players.”
PSG President Defends Enrique
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi backed his manager, stating:
“We have the most disciplined and respectful coach in the world. He went to separate the ball and got pushed. You have to have respect for your coaches, too.”
João Pedro Responds: “They Didn’t Know How to Lose”
João Pedro, who scored Chelsea’s third goal and was involved in the altercation, gave his version of events:
“I went to protect Andrey [Santos]. I saw the players surrounding him. Like a good Brazilian, I went to protect a friend. A lot of people were arriving, and in that mess, I ended up getting shoved.”
He added, “It’s part of it. They didn’t know how to lose, I believe. Now it’s time to celebrate.”
