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In another round of pre-match psychological sparring ahead of Saturday's final, Luis Enrique has claimed that Paris Saint-Germain's hunger to defend the Champions League crown is stronger than Arsenal's quest for a first-ever title.
"We will be European champions on Saturday," Mikel Arteta confidently proclaimed earlier this week as Arsenal gear up for just their second Champions League final appearance—their debut ending in devastation against Barcelona, Enrique's former club, in 2005–06.
The PSG boss stopped short of making such a bold prediction during his press conference, yet firmly believes his team's determination to triumph in Budapest is "bigger" than Arsenal's.
"Yes, it is powerful," Enrique said of Arsenal's drive for a first title. "But do you know how powerful trying to win the second one in a row is? It's bigger.
"So we have the edge. I don't think there's any greater motivation than lifting the Champions League. We'll see who comes out on top—we both won our domestic leagues and I'm going to focus on the positives for my team so we can deliver our very best.
"It's a source of inspiration for us. We've already written ourselves into the history books as one of Europe's finest sides. But that's exactly what we're chasing. You never know when you'll next reach a Champions League final, so you have to seize the moment."
How Many Times Have Clubs Defended the Champions League Title?
Successfully defending the Champions League—formerly known as the European Cup—is not entirely rare throughout the competition's long history, though it has only been accomplished once in the 21st century.
Real Madrid claimed three consecutive titles between 2016 and 2018, defeating Atlético Madrid, Juventus, and Liverpool in a remarkable hat-trick of finals under the guidance of Zinedine Zidane.
Prior to the new millennium, back-to-back triumphs were a far more frequent occurrence. Madrid launched the European Cup era by claiming five straight titles from the inaugural 1955–56 campaign through to the 1959–60 season.
Portuguese powerhouses Benfica then succeeded that dominant Madrid side with two consecutive titles, shortly before Inter secured the trophy in back-to-back seasons during the mid-1960s.
Ajax's Total Football side achieved a three-peat in the early 1970s, driven to glory by Johan Cruyff, with Bayern Munich subsequently following suit by winning three in succession between 1974 and 1976.
Shortly thereafter, Liverpool and then Nottingham Forest each won the competition in back-to-back seasons, while Milan also reached the same milestone in the late 1980s.
In total, there have been eight instances of clubs winning the Champions League/European Cup for at least two consecutive years, a prestigious group that PSG now have the chance to join.