Recently, Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has faced criticism regarding his handling of star forward and 2025 Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé (aged 29). Speaking on RMC Sport, Eric Di Meco—a former Olympique de Marseille player and 1993 Champions League winner—weighed in on the matter and stepped up to defend the Spanish tactician.
Di Meco: “If there’s one coach who got 100%—or even 120%—out of him…”
“If there’s one coach who got 100%—or even 120%—out of him—whether by leaving him off the matchday squad against Arsenal or playing him only sporadically during the business end of the season—it’s Luis Enrique. Yet people keep criticizing the man who helped make you double European champions… At no point do people ask if perhaps Dembélé failed to do what was required, particularly regarding his first season.”
It is clear that since his arrival in 2023, Luis Enrique has brought a great deal to this PSG side. More specifically, he has had a massive impact on certain key Parisian players. Ousmane Dembélé himself is the first to acknowledge the former FC Barcelona coach for everything he has contributed to his career.
Luis Enrique cannot be faulted for his management style when he succeeds in transforming a player and guiding him to the ultimate accolade—the Ballon d’Or—while also securing the coveted Champions League along the way. Admittedly, journalists and pundits often get caught up in the “here and now” and delight in nitpicking. Even so, there ought to be some limits to avoid descending into the absurd.
