Luis Enrique has decided to put immediate pressure on his dressing room. After PSG’s 2-2 draw at Rennes, several of his decisions were interpreted as warnings aimed at some of his senior players, particularly Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. But inside the Parisian club, the message is said to have been much broader.
Luis Enrique is sending strong signals at the start of the season: there will be no special treatment. A player who does not meet expectations could find himself on the bench, in the stands or out of the squad. According to RMC Sport, however, no player in particular was targeted by the coach’s strong words. Since Sunday evening, PSG have privately insisted that Luis Enrique was mainly addressing the entire squad and laying down the rules for the new campaign.
Luis Enrique wants competition throughout the squad
The Spanish coach also wants to introduce significant rotation. With a much deeper squad at his disposal, Luis Enrique has plenty of options and wants every player to feel involved from the opening weeks of the season. The match in Rennes offered an early example: with PSG trailing 2-0, he did not hesitate to replace Dembélé and Kvaratskhelia at half-time and bring on Ferran Torres and Mika Godts, a striking decision given the status of the two forwards.
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The message was therefore not aimed only at Dembélé and Kvaratskhelia. Luis Enrique wants permanent competition and intends to make it clear that past performances will not guarantee anyone a place in his starting XI. L’Équipe has also described the situation at PSG this season as one of “extreme competition”, with player status likely to be regularly reassessed.
Even PSG’s biggest stars can now lose their place. After two outstanding European seasons and back-to-back Champions League triumphs, the staff’s main concern is avoiding complacency. Senny Mayulu’s situation illustrates that approach: despite recently extending his contract until 2031 and featuring in both August finals, he was left out of the squad for Rennes after a week of training deemed less convincing than that of his rivals. Dembélé, Kvaratskhelia, Mayulu and the rest have therefore been warned: with so many options available, Luis Enrique appears ready to rotate without taking reputation into account.
