Enrique Dismisses Dembele's Post-Match Sermon as 'Worthless' – Club Above All

Paris Saint-Germain's title hopes took another knock on Friday night as Rennes ran out 3-1 victors at the Parc des Princes, leaving the Ligue 1 leaders with just a two-point cushion over Lens. Dembele was among the scorers for PSG, notching his 11th goal across 24 appearances this season, but the performance left plenty to be desired.

In the aftermath, Dembele seized the microphone to lecture his teammates. The Ballon d'Or winner suggested the squad had reverted to old habits, criticising their tendency to operate as individuals rather than a cohesive unit. Speaking to Ligue 1+, he called for a return to the collective mentality that had served them well previously.

"We have to play for PSG in order to win matches," Dembele explained. "If we play as individuals on the pitch, it won't work; we won't win the titles we want. Last season, we put the club before everything else, before thinking about ourselves. We have to rediscover that, especially in these matches. We know we're in the second half of the season. And Paris Saint-Germain has to come first, not individual players."

Fair enough, one might think. Yet Enrique was having none of it. The Spanish manager bristled at his star forward's intervention, dismissing the remarks as utterly hollow during his press conference.

"The players' statements after the match are worthless," Enrique declared bluntly. "Absolutely worthless. Neither are the coaches' statements, but the players' statements are worthless. I'm not going to answer any question from a player, any response from a player."

He then laid down his authority with unmistakable clarity. "I will never allow any player to be above the club. So, it's clear. I am the person responsible for the team. I will not allow any player to think that he is more important than the club. Neither me, nor the sporting director, nor the president, nor the club. So, these statements are worthless. They are the result of anger after a match, and I think that's clear. We have nothing to lose."

On the match itself, Enrique acknowledged PSG's dominance in passages of play without excusing the result. The hosts controlled the opening 45 minutes and created numerous opportunities, yet found themselves trailing at the interval. The pattern continued after the break, with PSG generating nearly four expected goals whilst Rennes, far more clinical, managed fewer than two but converted three.

"It's a difficult analysis to make because I think we dominated the first half, creating a lot of chances, but we went in at half-time trailing 1–0," Enrique reflected. "Afterwards, we created a lot, we had almost four expected goals but only scored one, whereas Rennes created fewer than two but scored three goals. Given that they were that efficient, they deserve to win."

The manager acknowledged the psychological damage inflicted by the defeat. "We need to improve, we're annoyed because this result means a little less confidence for the team. And the opponent feels they can win, and in that sense, it's more difficult for us."