Left out of Champions League final by Luis Enrique, Zaïre-Emery pays the price for his versatility at PSG

Warren Zaïre-Emery was not in Paris Saint-Germain’s starting eleven for the Champions League final against Arsenal, despite a 2025-2026 season in which he was the club’s most-used player with 54 appearances across all competitions.

Luis Enrique chose to field Achraf Hakimi at right-back and restore Fabián Ruiz to midfield, a position Zaïre-Emery had filled during several months while the Spanish midfielder recovered from a left knee injury. “He was the scapegoat for the Champions League final,” former international Benoît Trémoulinas said on La Chaîne L’Équipe.

The Spanish coach himself acknowledged the injustice of his decision following PSG’s triumph. “With Warren, I was very unfair. He deserved to play in this final. He showed his character and accepted my decision. I wanted to highlight that,” Luis Enrique said.

This exclusion raises fresh questions about the future of PSG’s number 33. His versatility, which allowed him to play both in midfield and at right-back, ultimately worked against him at the decisive moment. Trémoulinas does not rule out a departure in the summer transfer window: “Next year, if he’s still the twelfth man, maybe he’ll ask himself the question.”

At 19 years old, Zaïre-Emery could find compensation on the international stage. The French international is expected to participate in the World Cup with the France national team, a competition that would give him the chance to assert himself in a central role.