Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique says he will not “waste energy” on reports of dressing room disquiet as part of a patchy Champions League campaign for the Ligue 1 leaders.
PSG have lost three and drawn one of their five European matches, putting the 2019/20 finalists at risk of being automatically eliminated from the competition.
The reigning French champions are seven points clear of Marseille and Monaco at the top of their domestic table but faltered at home to second-bottom Nantes in their last league game, spurning the lead to draw 1-1 on November 30.
🚴❤️💙 Luis Enrique & @GroupamaFDJ: football meets cycling, passion and performance
Watch the full video on YouTube 👀
📺🔗 https://t.co/qbiCnsk48P pic.twitter.com/VMLXR61IzE
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) December 5, 2024
Luis Enrique: ‘Battle to represent’ PSG
“I’ve been in the world of football for over 30 years,” said Enrique, via L’Equipe. “It doesn’t affect me very much. I learn about these rumours before the press conference because the press officer tells me about them.
“It’s sad because it’s false. I focus on what I can control. I’m not going to waste my energy on what’s said around the club. My battle is to represent my club.”
The Spaniard has overseen a four-match winless Champions League run since a 90th-minute own goal by goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga gave Paris a 1-0 win over Girona in their opener in this season’s competition.
They lost 2-0 at Arsenal and 1-0 at Bayern Munich either side of a 1-1 home draw with PSV and a 2-1 defeat to visitors Atletico Madrid.
WZE 👊 https://t.co/YcEwn13Rwh pic.twitter.com/M3adRAJPyp
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) December 4, 2024
PSG squad ‘excellent’
Enrique described suggestions that the defeat to Bayern had intensified tensions behind the scenes as “curious”. “The locker room is magnificent – top on a human level,” he added.
“The professional level is excellent. I have always praised the team. I am not going to respond to the rumours or lies that may arise. I am not going to get involved in that game. The team is excellent.
“You’ll hardly hear me say bad things about a player publicly. If I do it in the locker room, it’s because that’s where I have to do it. But I’m not going to get involved in speculation about lies or rumours.”
Auxerre vs PSG
With their nearest rivals not in action until later in the week, PSG can extend their advantage in Ligue 1 when they visit eighth-placed Auxerre on Friday (8pm GMT).
“For me, it’s still a very good season,” said Enrique. “It’s true that we made mistakes. We analysed them. I even find the problems we encountered in the Champions League positive because it doesn’t reflect the quality of the team.
“There’s nothing like suffering to surpass yourself… what the team transmits in training is positive.”
