Luis Enrique Downplays Dembele’s Unity Concerns as PSG Gear Up for Champions League Clash with Monaco

Key Takeaways:

• Paris St Germain manager Luis Enrique downplayed Ousmane Dembele’s public criticism of team unity ahead of the Champions League playoff first leg at Monaco
• Dembele had voiced concerns about team cohesion following PSG’s 3-1 defeat at Rennes on Friday
• PSG previously suffered a 1-0 defeat at Monaco in November and will look to improve their fortunes in today’s fixture

Manager Downplays Squad Harmony Issues

Paris St Germain coach Luis Enrique has dismissed recent remarks made by Ousmane Dembele, who questioned the squad’s unity after a 3-1 loss to Rennes on Friday. Enrique, when asked about the Ballon d’Or winner’s comments ahead of their Champions League last 16 playoff tie at Monaco, insisted that criticism is simply part of the environment at PSG.
“There’s always a lot of noise around PSG, and we have to accept it. That’s it,” said Luis Enrique during his pre-match press conference, echoing comments he made previously following Dembele’s forthright interview after the Rennes defeat.

🔴🔵 À la veille du match contre Monaco, Luis Enrique a confié n’avoir jamais connu un groupe aussi exceptionnel, aussi soudé et avec une telle entente entre les joueurs.

Les déclarations de Ousmane Dembélé ont pu surprendre, parfois agacer, mais le vestiaire a visiblement réglé… pic.twitter.com/TIuCiSaCUt

— ParisTeam (@Paristeamfr) February 16, 2026

Analyzing Recent Setbacks and Team Performance

PSG’s defeat to Rennes capped off a turbulent period in which the reigning Champions League holders failed to secure a place in the competition’s top eight and struggled to assert their usual dominance in Ligue 1. Reflecting on the loss, Enrique commented:
“The defeat was cruel because if you consider what we created, it was similar to what we did against Marseille when we scored five goals. But we only got one against Rennes,” said the coach.
Enrique added that while the team would have preferred to arrive in Monaco off the back of a victory, the players remain highly motivated for the forthcoming fixture.

Looking Ahead: Monaco Challenge Beckons

PSG were defeated 1-0 at Monaco in November and will be hoping to reverse that result during Tuesday’s Champions League first leg. “We can expect a match similar to the one we played. We’re not going to change anything because we’re going to try to win this match,” commented Enrique, underlining his confidence in the team’s approach.

Enrique also minimised concerns about facing a domestic opponent in a European competition: “It’s football, it’s the same thing, you have to try to do the same thing to win the match. What I hope is to see the best version of PSG.”

The coach concluded by expressing optimism for the remainder of the campaign, referencing last season’s improvements following an inefficient start. “We started the Champions League last season with the same lack of efficiency, but when you look at the results we later had, it meant we were superior to our opponents, and that’s what we’re aiming for again. I’m sure we can get back to that very quickly,” he added.