The incident reportedly took place immediately after the final whistle, when tensions boiled over between players. Joao Pedro was seen collapsing to the ground in pain, sparking allegations that Enrique had struck him during the altercation. Television footage appears to show Luis Enrique swinging his left arm, making contact with both the chest and face of Joao Pedro. The Brazilian forward fell instantly, clutching his face.
While Joao Pedro has not publicly pursued the matter through official channels, he did make a pointed remark in the media post-match, “Some people just don’t know how to accept defeat.”
As criticism mounts, Rafael Alkorta — a former Spain international and close friend of Enrique — has come to his defense. Speaking on the Cadena SER program El Larguero, Alkorta dismissed the allegations as exaggerated. “To be honest, these kinds of clashes aren’t rare after a tense match. I didn’t see Luis Enrique hit Joao Pedro. He simply raised his hand toward the kid’s face, and Joao dropped like he’d been shot.”
Alkorta insisted that Enrique was simply intervening to break up a scuffle and had no intent to harm. “Luis Enrique clearly said he wanted to prevent the situation from escalating. I believe him. It was chaotic — contact was inevitable.” He admitted Enrique’s action might have been ill-timed, but not violent in nature. “Calling it an attack is far-fetched. He reacted instinctively, not aggressively.”
In the post-match press conference, Luis Enrique denied all allegations of violent behavior, “I was trying to separate the players and stop things from getting out of control. The situation could have been avoided if everyone had remained calm.”
FIFA and the Club World Cup organizing committee have launched an official investigation into the incident. If found guilty of misconduct, Luis Enrique could face disciplinary action, which might affect PSG’s Ligue 1 and Champions League campaigns next season.
This isn’t the first time a coach has come under fire for touchline behavior, but with video evidence now circulating, the pressure is on FIFA to deliver a clear verdict.
While some defend Luis Enrique’s action as an attempt to de-escalate a chaotic scene, others argue the physical contact with Joao Pedro was unacceptable. With FIFA now involved, the outcome of the investigation could have serious consequences for both the coach and PSG’s upcoming season.
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