In four days PSG and Chelsea will be facing off in the Fifa cup Club World Cup Final at the MetLife stadium, which has hosted many a Super Bowl and is set to host some matches in the 2026 Fifa World Cup, in New Jersey. As these two teams prove themselves to be the best of the best when it comes to club football, especially PSG, who are one game away from winning every trophy available this season, fans have to wonder, what keeps the magic going behind the scenes? Again, especially in the case of PSG, their manager, Luis Enrique, who, in the two years he has been with them, has seen them through moments of great success—includinglifting this year’s Champions League Trophy—while battling his own personal tragedies.
Prior to Enrique working with PSG Enrique was the manager of FC Barcelona from 2014 to 2017, even helping them lift the UEFA super cup in 2015 against Sevilla. However, after the first extension of his contract, Enrique decided not to extend it again beyond 2017.
Though Enrique began to work again as the coach of the Spanish national team in 2018 he quit in mid-2019 for personal reasons, though it wasn’t made clear at the time what the nature of these reasons was, it was later disclosed that his daughter Xana, 9 years old at the time, was diagnosed with a rare form of osteosarcoma, and the family had taken the time to come together and be there for her through her treatment.
Who was Xana Enrique?
Xana was Luis Enrique and Elena Cullell’s youngest daughter, she might be recognized by football fans, Barcelona fans in particular, as the little girl beside Enrique when Barcelona beat Juventus in the Champions League final in 2015, she waved the team’s flag, twice the size of her and planted it in the ground as her father looked on with pride.
Berlin, 06.06.2015, Olympiastadion Trainer Luis Enrique Barca mit seiner Tochter Xana und Javier Mascherano mit seiner Tochter Juventus Turin – FC Barcelona, Barca *** Berlin, 06 06 2015, Olympiastadion Coach Luis Enrique Barca with his daughter Xana and Javier Mascherano with his daughter Juventus Turin FC Barcelona
Xana was born in 2010, was described by her father as being “amazing, a whirlwind,” and when she passed away at 9 years old, Enrique continued to honor her memory, saying, “My daughter came to live with us for nine wonderful years. We have thousands of memories of her.”
What was Xana’s cause of death?
In 2019 Xana Enrique was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer, for which she received treatment at Sant Joan de Deu, a children’s hospital in Barcelona. Towards the end of her treatment, however, as the disease progressed, Xana was moved back home.
Le magnifique tifo des supporters du PSG en hommage à Xana Le magnifique tifo des supporters du PSG en hommage à Xana avec son Luis Enrique coach du PSG lors de la Finale de la Ligue Des Champions 2025 PSG – Inter Milan à l Allianz Arena de Munich, le 31 mai 2025. The magnificent tifo of the PSG supporters in tribute to Xana with his Luis Enrique PSG coach during the 2025 Champions League Final PSG – Inter Milan at the Allianz Arena in Munich, May 31, 2025. Munich Allemagne PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRAxUKxUSAxAUSxBEL Copyright: xCapturexd à cranxTVxviaxBestimagexCapturexd à cranxTVxviaxBestimagex
“Those moments were very tough, but at the same time very moving, very intimate,” Enrique, who’d left his managerial post at Spain in June of that year to care for her, said of that time. Xana battled the disease for five months but eventually passed on August 29, 2019.
Luis Enrique’s emotional tribute
Earlier this year, when Luis Enrique led PSG to the Champions League final and then on to lifting the trophy, the moment was packed with emotion. First, the fans commemorated Xana’s memory by unveiling a banner in the stands that depicted Xana planting the PSG flag, the same way she had famously planted the Barcelona flag when her father led that team to their Champions League victory.
Further, upon the win, Enrique donned a T-shirt with a similar image on it that brought to attention the Xana foundation that the Enrique family started in order to honor Xana’s memory and help young people suffering from various different forms of cancer. The organization aims towards providing affected families with knowledge and support.
Enrique’s return to football after the tragedy
Despite Luis Enrique’s great tragedy, he returned to coach the Spanish National team in November of 2019, just a little over two months after Xana’s death. He then led Spain to the Euro 2020 semifinals, a great depiction of his resilience and focus during the time.
Now, as the head coach of PSG, a position that he took on in July 2023, he has shown only moments of brilliance. The club has won almost every club trophy there is to win this year and depending on what goes down at the MetLife Stadium this weekend, they might just make this a golden year for themselves all around!
And Luis Enrique’s efforts, despite his hardship, are not going unnoticed; former Barcelona captain and football legend Carlos Puyol is constantly sharing messages to his social media in support of the PSG coach, writing after the Champions League win, “You are the best, brother!!!! Congratulations!!!!,” In fact, a lot of the soccer world, including former PSG star Kylian Mbappé, is rooting for Enrique!
If PSG manages to lift the trophy, they’ll have marked their first win in this tournament, in which they are making their debut appearance. However, Chelsea has the experience and the wins behind them, having lifted the trophy in 2021 and finishing as runners-up in 2012. Either way, one or the other will be making history.
Soccer Football – FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 – Spain Squad Announcement – La Ciudad del Futbol, Las Rozas de Madrid, Spain – November 11, 2022 Spain coach Luis Enrique during the squad announcement REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura
Of the impending face off, Enrique only had praise for his team, saying, “This was an objective from the start, and now we are just one game away from building PSG’s history, and winning all the trophies we have participated in this season. It means a lot for us, for our fans and it is a pleasure to work at this club. We have scored 100-plus goals and we let in very few. These players are exceptional.” When pressed on what it was exactly that made the players exceptional, Enrique added, “The insuperable play of my players and their generosity, the way they give everything at the service of the team.”
It is heartening to know that in the wake of this tragedy, the loss of young Xana, who was so full of life and had so many dreams before her, her memory can be honored in her father’s continued love for this sport and the love that it throws back on him. Enrique might be back at work, but he is never away from the memory of his daughter, writing soon after her death on his social media, “You will be the star that guides our family.” Later at the launch of Fundación Xana, Enrique stated, “Her energy is still very much with us,” making clear that come what may, the wins are not removed from the losses in more ways than one.
The post What Happened to Luis Enrique’s Daughter, Xana? Exploring the PSG Manager’s Emotional Relationship appeared first on EssentiallySports.
