Luis Enrique, head coach of first-place Paris Saint-Germain, held a press conference this Monday ahead of their 2025-2026 Champions League match against eighth-place Bayer Leverkusen at the BayArena tomorrow (kick-off at 9 p.m., CET). On the sidelines of the match, the Spaniard also spoke to Canal+. He discussed the return of Ousmane Dembélé, the 28-year-old striker who joined the squad after just over a month out due to injury.
Luis Enrique “You value that, but it doesn’t matter.”
The Ballon d’Or’s return, a great thing?
You see things differently. It’s not the Ballon d’Or, it’s Ousmane Dembélé. It’s more important the person, the player, who brings his energy to the team, than if it’s the last Ballon d’Or.
The Ballon d’Or is over. We have to work to win it. You value that, but it doesn’t matter. For us, it’s important to have Marquinhos, Désiré Doué, and Ousmane Dembélé back.
But I’m happier with his energy, with what I see as a person, than with the Ballon d’Or. It’s over.