“He got into our heads” - Samuel Umtiti recalls inspiring message from Luis Enrique before Barcelona pulling off Remontada vs PSG

Former Barcelona star Samuel Umtiti recalled the motivational speech that ex-Blaugrana manager Luis Enrique gave his side before their historic 'Remontada' against Paris Saint-Germain. The Frenchman claimed that the Spanish tactician 'had everything prepared' ahead of the game.

In the Round of 16 of the 2016-17 UEFA Champions League, Barca were drawn up against PSG. The Catalan giants had the famed MSN trio - Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar - surrounded by star players like Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta and many others.

Despite their incredible squad, Barcelona were stunned in the first leg of the tie at the Parc des Princes in Paris. A brace from Angel di Maria and goals from Julian Draxler and Edinson Cavani secured a 4-0 thumping for PSG.

No other team had ever overcome a four-goal deficit in the UCL before; however, on March 8, 2017, Barca rewrote history. Sergi Roberto's 95th-minute goal secured a 6-1 win on the night and a 6-5 win on aggregate.

Umtiti, who played every minute of both the fixtures, reminisced the team talk given by then-coach Enrique in the build-up to the second leg. In an interview with RMC Sport, the Frenchman said (via Barca Universal):

"He made me evolve so much in the way I see football. He really focuses on the details. His tactical sessions were like nothing I'd ever seen before. He had everything prepared for that second leg. He told us: "They scored four against us, we can score six against them, don't worry.' He got into our heads. He was really good. Everyone in Barcelona knew it was possible."

Unfortunately for Barcelona, they could not build on the historic win, losing 3-0 on aggregate to Juventus in the quarter-finals of the 2016-17 UCL campaign.

"I felt like I was dreaming" - Samuel Umtiti opens up on Camp Nou atmosphere during Barcelona's Remontada vs PSG

Former Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti has revealed the unbelievable energy that he felt inside the Camp Nou during the Blaugrana's famed 6-1 win over PSG in 2017.

Barca started their comeback in stylish fashion, scoring three unanswered goals in 50 minutes and needing just one more to level the tie. However, Edinson Cavani's 62nd-minute strike gave PSG a much-needed away goal and put the Catalans in the precarious situation of having to score three more to win the tie outright.

Despite the odds being stacked against them, a picture-perfect freekick (88') and a thumping penalty (90+1') from Neymar gave Barcelona a glimmer of hope. In the dying embers of the game (90+5'), the Brazilian launched the ball into the box, and Sergi Roberto poked it into the net to secure an extraordinary win.

In a recent interview with RMC Sport, Umtiti recalled the final moments of the game. The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner said (via Barca Universal):

“The game would have been completely different if Paris had come out pressing us. I remember Cavani wanted to press from the kickoff, but everyone was saying, ‘Hey, come on!’ I expected them to press, but they didn’t at all. In the end, that put us more into the game than anything else. It’s one of the only games in Barcelona where I felt the stadium move, it was incredible... I felt like I was dreaming in that game."

After a long battle with injuries, Umtiti announced his retirement in September 2025.