Paris Saint-Germain suffered a bitter 3-1 defeat at Rennes, leaving the European champions with a harsh reality check. The loss was further highlighted by strong words from Ousmane Dembele, which coach Luis Enrique attempted to downplay in his post-match press conference.
The Ballon d’Or winner publicly criticized the team’s attitude, emphasizing that players need to think more about the club and less about themselves.
“If everyone plays for themselves on the pitch, it won’t work and we won’t win the titles we want,” Dembele said.
“Last season, we put the club, the PSG badge, first before thinking about ourselves. We need to return to that, especially in matches like this.”
“We must show more desire. We are at Paris Saint-Germain to win games.”
Luis Enrique Responds
When asked about Dembele’s comments, Luis Enrique minimized their significance, stressing that no player is more important than the club:
“I won’t allow any player to think they are more important than the club. Not me, not the sporting director, not the president, not the club.”
“These statements are meaningless. They are the result of anger after a game, and I think that’s clear. We have nothing to lose.”
“Absolutely meaningless. Neither the coaches’ nor the players’ statements are important.”
“I will not respond to any questions or statements from any player. I will never allow any player to put themselves above the club. Let that be clear. I am responsible for the team.”
Dembele’s remarks underline the tension in the squad following the unexpected loss, while Enrique insists on maintaining authority and focus on team unity.