Luis Enrique has moved to defend Ousmane Dembele after the winger’s blunt verdict on Paris Saint-Germain’s performance in their shock defeat to Rennes.
PSG were beaten by Rennes, a result that sparked frustration in the visiting camp and led to a pointed post-match assessment from Dembele, the Ballon d’Or winner, aimed at the level shown by his team-mates.
Speaking afterwards, Luis Enrique played down the importance of what is said in the immediate aftermath of games and made it clear he would not read too much into Dembele’s words.
“Players’ statements after matches have no value!” the PSG head coach said, as he backed Dembele and tried to shift the focus back onto the team’s work rather than public criticism.
Dembele’s comments came after a difficult night for PSG against Rennes, with the Ligue 1 heavyweights unable to get the result they wanted and left to reflect on a disappointing display.
Luis Enrique insisted emotions often run high straight after a defeat and stressed that what matters is how the squad responds, not the reactions delivered while still in the heat of the moment.
The coach’s defence of Dembele underlined PSG’s desire to close ranks following the Rennes loss, with attention now turning to putting things right in their next outing.
