Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has told his squad to forget about past Champions League triumphs and focus on the challenges ahead. The call comes as the reigning Ligue 1 and European champions have managed just two points from their first three domestic matches of the season.

Enrique made the comments on the eve of Paris Saint-Germain's opening Champions League group stage match against Slovan Bratislava at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night. "I always try to transmit the same thing to my players: the past is the past," he said. He stressed the need for constant renewal. "You have to renew yourselves every year. Everyone is motivated and excited at the idea of playing us."

This push for a fresh start is all the more urgent given the underwhelming league form. Paris Saint-Germain drew 2-2 at Rennes and 2-2 at Lille before losing 1-2 to Monaco at home. They steadied the ship with a 1-0 win at Brest last Saturday, courtesy of a Ferran Torres goal, and a commanding 6-1 Champions League victory last week. Torres, who scored a hat-trick in that European match, is the club's top scorer this season with three goals.

Despite the shaky start, the club is buoyed by a talented generation. Ten Paris Saint-Germain players, including Ousmane Dembélé, Warren Zaïre-Emery, and young goalkeeper Matvey Safanov, are nominated for the 2026 Ballon d'Or. The European-winning squad is also in contention for the team of the year award.

The revamped Champions League format, featuring a 36-team league phase, provides some leeway. The top eight qualify directly for the last 16, while teams finishing ninth to 24th enter a two-legged play-off for the remaining spots. Paris Saint-Germain, which had to handle these play-offs in its last two triumphant campaigns, is familiar with this path. To track the squad's composition and injury list, which includes Achraf Hakimi, visit our squad page. The upcoming fixture schedule is on our fixtures page.

The immediate task for Enrique and his players is therefore twofold: build momentum in Europe and correct their course in Ligue 1, where their last trip to Lens on August 16th ended in a 1-0 defeat.

Background and full detail: rfi.fr