Zana: The Little Girl Who Stole the Spotlight from Paris Stars on a Historic Night

Zana after Barcelona’s Champions League victory in 2015, four years before her passing.

Zana: The Little Girl Who Stole the Spotlight from Paris Stars on a Historic Night

Ten years ago, young Zana captured hearts as she ran across Berlin’s Olympic Stadium

 waving the Barcelona flag during their Champions League triumph, celebrating alongside her father, then-coach Luis Enrique. 

Just four years later, Zana tragically passed away — yet on Saturday in Munich, she made a touching return in spirit as Paris Saint-Germain, her father's current team, won the UEFA Champions League for the first time in its history.

PSG ended a decades-long wait, becoming the first French team to lift the prestigious trophy since Marseille did so in the early 1990s.

Back in 2019, amid joyful memories of that historic night in Berlin, Luis Enrique received devastating news: his daughter had been diagnosed with bone cancer. Zana was diagnosed with sarcoma, one of the most aggressive and common types of bone cancer in children and teenagers. Unable to cope with the emotional burden, Enrique stepped down from his role as Spain’s national team coach. Just two months later, Zana passed away.

Speaking about the immense impact of her loss, Enrique — originally from Spain’s Asturias region — recalled:

"My mother couldn’t bear to keep Zana’s photos at home. When I returned, they were gone. She just couldn’t handle the grief. I told her, Zana is no longer with us physically, but her spirit is always here."

In a documentary last year, Luis Enrique described the tragedy as the hardest moment of his life:

"No one can truly understand the feeling. God blessed me with nine years with her — nine beautiful years. We made thousands of memories together. I am fortunate — incredibly fortunate."

During Saturday’s Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan, PSG fans unveiled a massive banner depicting Zana and her father, recreating the iconic image from a decade ago. Struggling to hold back his emotions, Enrique said:

"It was incredibly moving. It’s beautiful that the fans remembered me and my family."

He added:

"Zana is always with me. She supports us, and I feel her presence every day. I don’t need a trophy to remember her."

Luis Enrique, who once played for both Real Madrid and Barcelona, has now won the treble (league, cup, and Champions League) for the second time in his coaching career — first with Barcelona, and now a decade later, with Paris Saint-Germain.