European Champs PSG Hungry for More Glory

Tired But Motivated We have to strike the balance between managing the physical and mental fatigue we’re experiencing now… and harnessing the motivation that comes with being involved in the competition.

- Luis Enrique, PSG coach, on his side playing 58 games since last August.

LOS ANGELES — Freshly crowned kings of Europe, Paris Saint-Germain have arrived in the United States for the Club World Cup and are treating FIFA’s lucrative new competition not as a nuisance at the end of an exhausting season but as a serious objective.

“I think it is an incredible competition,” coach Luis Enrique said in the immediate aftermath of his team’s Champions League triumph in Munich on May 31.

“Our aim is to be competitive and try to win a fifth trophy of the season.”

The French giants could be forgiven for wanting some time to bask in the glory of their 5-0 victory over Inter Milan, which allowed them to finally win the Champions League for the first time in their history.

There had been numerous failures in Europe’s elite club competition, as well as billions of euros spent on transfer fees on stars like Neymar and Kylian Mbappé, prior to captain Marquinhos raising the trophy aloft.