Luis Enrique Honors Daughter Xana After PSG Champions League Triumph

• by Arlen Fitzpatrick
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PSG's Champions League Glory Tied to a Father’s Personal Loss

You could see it all over his face after the final whistle. Luis Enrique, who led Paris Saint-Germain to their first ever UEFA Champions League title with a dramatic win over Inter Milan, wasn’t just thinking about football glory—he was thinking about his daughter Xana. Even as cameras swirled around the historic celebrations at the Allianz Arena on May 31, 2025, his mind went to someone missing from the crowd: the daughter he lost in 2019.

Xana passed away at just nine, after a heartbreaking struggle with osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer. It’s the kind of loss that never really leaves you. Enrique’s tribute was subtle but searing. He wore a t-shirt made specially for the night, with graphics recalling a beloved family snapshot—Xana, then just a child, planting a flag on the pitch after his Champions League win with Barcelona in 2015. Back then, the photo caught the uncomplicated joy of a footballer’s daughter basking in her dad’s triumph. This year in Munich, Enrique was determined to bring her into the moment again.

But he wasn’t alone in remembering Xana. When fireworks thundered across the night sky and PSG fans went into full celebration mode, one section of the stands unfurled a huge tifo banner honoring Xana’s memory. It wasn’t just about football anymore. The gesture brought Enrique to tears, the kind he didn’t try to hide as champagne sprayed and confetti drifted across the Bavarian grass. The fans saw him—and they saw the pain behind the medals and the managerial masterclass.

The Ripple Effect: Xana Foundation and Continuing Legacy

After Xana’s death, Enrique and his wife Elena Cullell created the Xana Foundation to raise funds and awareness for children’s cancer. The work is personal—born from grief, but driven by hope for those facing osteosarcoma and other pediatric illnesses. The foundation keeps Xana’s spirit alive in ways trophies just can’t. Every Champions League run, every public appearance, every mention—Enrique uses the spotlight to talk about her, her foundation, and the need for scientific research.

For Enrique, this wasn’t just a night for PSG’s trophy case. Before the match, he told the press he hoped to honor Xana by carrying on the flag-planting tradition, showing his players and the whole club that sport can bridge life’s happiest and most painful chapters. The Allianz Arena scenes were as much about family and memory as silverware.

During interviews, Enrique spoke softly about Xana. He said her physical absence is sharply felt, but emphasized that she is “spiritually present” at his major milestones—especially this one. Friends say that even when he’s laser-focused on the tactics board, there’s always some part of him carrying her along. He recalled how much she loved celebrations, and admitted that her memory fuels his work, both on the touchline and in supporting other families facing childhood cancer.

For PSG fans, the final felt historic for obvious reasons. But for Luis Enrique, this victory will always mean something different: a rare and beautiful chance to honor a child’s joy, and the lasting force of a father’s love in the global spotlight of football’s biggest stage.