BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Now that Paris Saint-Germain have won back-to-back UEFA Champions League titles in such a comprehensive manner -- and penalty shootout notwithstanding, their win over Arsenal was comprehensive, not just for the chances created but for the journey to the final -- it's fair to ask the question: What does it mean?
What does PSG's success tell us about the modern game? Have they captured lightning in a bottle? Can (and should) others emulate them?
It's not easy to answer, because there are so many inherent contradictions.
PSG coach Luis Enrique's brand of football is in some ways the synthesis of what clubs aspire to. A 4-3-3 with plenty of athleticism and fluidity, a two-footed center forward who can pop up anywhere along the front line, a side that can both stick the button on fast-forward and slow the game to a crawl as needed (that "control" thing that some coaches prattle on about endlessly). A team chock-full of ballers, who have licence to follow their creative muse, but only at certain times and in certain areas, to ensure it remains a choir and not a poetry slam.
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With some exceptions -- like the Premier League champions who PSG just beat in the final -- the concepts above epitomize the high-end modern game around Europe. Sure, top sides will have tweaks based on personnel and preference, but this is the way things are going in terms of concepts and approach. This is what most coaches aspire to achieve with the resources available to them.
At the same time, their situation is fairly unique. They started the season with Luis Enrique announcing that they didn't have the luxury of a proper preseason because they reached the final in the FIFA Club World Cup, and would therefore ease into the campaign, rotating heavily and treating the first few months of the regular season as if it were training camp.
It feels like a long time ago, but they needed a goal deep in injury time to avoid defeat in August's UEFA Super Cup to (ahem) Tottenham Hotspur, who ended up nearly relegated from the Premier League. And for the second consecutive season, they had to go through the playoff rounds to get into the knockout phase of the Champions League.
Luis Enrique's Paris Saint-Germain have found their own blueprint for European dominance. Michael Regan - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images But playing in an 18-team Ligue 1, with a budget that dwarfs everybody else's, means they don't need to put the hammer down every weekend. Instead, they can cruise at half-throttle for much of the campaign and peak when it matters. These are pretty unusual conditions not enjoyed by their peer clubs, and therefore difficult to emulate.