Club World Cup final scuffle 'should have been avoided' says Luis Enrique / Photo: JUAN MABROMATA - AFP
-
Hezbollah supporters defiant after sons killed fighting Israel
-
EU unblocks 90-bn-euro Ukraine loan after Hungary row
-
Merz says climate policy must not 'endanger' German industry
-
Ziggy Stardust lives on at David Bowie London immersive
-
Thousands of London commuters walk to work in underground strike
-
Boeing reports narrowing loss, points to progress on turnaround
-
Germany halves 2026 growth forecast on Iran war fallout
-
Chinese EVs look to sideline foreign brands at Beijing auto show
-
Russia to block flow of Kazakh oil to German refinery, Berlin says
-
Vietnam, South Korea sign deals on tech, nuclear power
-
EU nears approval of Ukraine loan after Hungary pipeline row
-
Duterte jurisdiction appeal quashed at ICC
-
Three ships targeted in Hormuz, Iran seizes two: monitors, Guards
-
Iran says seized two ships seeking to cross Strait of Hormuz
-
Iran murals project defiance in war with US
-
Ships attacked in Gulf as Trump extends Iran ceasefire
-
Germany set to slash growth forecast due to Mideast war
-
Pakistan's capital holds its breath with US-Iran talks in limbo
-
Groundbreaking Iranian snooker star Vafaei takes on the world
-
Sakib Hussain: IPL quick whose mum sold her jewellery to fund cricket dream
-
US-based Buddhist monks bring peace walk to Sri Lanka
-
NASA unveils new space telescope to give 'atlas of the universe'
-
Trump extends ceasefire, claims Iran 'collapsing financially'
-
The tiny, defiant Nile island caught in the heart of Sudan's war
-
UK inflation jumps as Mideast war propels energy prices
-
Oil falls, stocks mixed as traders weigh outlook after Trump extends truce
-
Anthropic probes unauthorized access to Mythos AI model
-
Stadium that was symbol of NZ post-quake rebuild to hold first match
-
Blazers stun Spurs after Wemby injury, Lakers down Rockets
-
Chinese carmakers aim to build up presence in Europe
-
Maoist landmine legacy haunts India
-
Fiji villagers reject plan for 'Pacific ashtray' in beach paradise
-
India orders school water bells to beat heat
-
Japanese minnows one win from fairytale Champions League title
-
Rugby Australia eyes brighter future as Lions tour brings cash windfall
-
Blazers rally stuns Spurs after Wembanyama injury
-
Young Chinese use AI to launch one-person firms over job anxiety
-
Delicate extraction: Malaysia offers rare earths alternative to China
-
Oil, stocks fall as traders weigh outlook after Trump extends truce
-
Pope to visit prison on final leg of Africa tour
-
US military says key weapons system staying in South Korea
-
India strangles final Maoist bastion as mining looms
-
AI-powered robots offer new hope to German factories
-
Indonesia orangutan forest cleared for 'carbon-neutral' packaging firm
-
PGA Tour mulls pathway back for golfers as LIV plots survival
-
One month phone-free: Young Americans try digital detox
-
Questions about Tesla spending binge ahead of earnings
-
Rome summons Russian ambassador over insults against Meloni
-
US tells Afghans to choose Taliban home or DR Congo: activist
-
Air Force Selects Radiant to Deliver Microreactors to Buckley Space Force Base
Club World Cup final scuffle 'should have been avoided' says Luis Enrique
Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique said he was "just trying to separate the players" after being caught up in a scuffle on the pitch at the end of his team's 3-0 defeat to Chelsea in the Club World Cup final on Sunday.
Television footage showed the PSG boss raising his arm to the neck of Joao Pedro, who had earlier scored Chelsea's third goal following a Cole Palmer brace at the MetLife Stadium.
"There was pushing and shoving, a lot of tension and pressure. The situation obviously should have been avoided," Luis Enrique told reporters.
"My intention was clearly to just try to separate the players."
He admitted that Chelsea were deserved winners as he urged his team to enjoy a short summer break at the end of a remarkable campaign.
Defeat for PSG denied them what would have been a stunning clean sweep of trophies as they failed to add the Club World Cup to the UEFA Champions League and French league and cup double they claimed in May.
"I think over the course of the game they deserved their win. They played very well," Luis Enrique said.
"I said beforehand that Chelsea were a very good team and they deserve their victory and the trophy."
A historic season for PSG ends after 11 months and 65 matches, and they now have exactly one month before returning to action in August -- there will be another trophy on the line in their next game, against Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Super Cup.
"I think is important for us to enjoy our holidays. They will be very short. But we need to make the most of them," he said.
PSG's victory in this year's Champions League also means they will have another crack at winning the Club World Cup when they participate in the next edition, which is due to take place in 2029.
"I think this tournament was born out of the need to know who the best team in the world is. I think it is an interesting format and I think it could become a real top-level competition," said the Spaniard.
"There is just the difficulty of finding space for it in the current calendar, but I think it is an interesting tournament -- we had the chance to win it but there was another team who were better than us in the final."
A.Williams--AT