Luis Enrique defends Dembélé amid criticism over repeated rest periods

Luis Enrique publicly backed Ousmane Dembélé on Friday at a press conference, responding with humor to criticism surrounding the management of the Paris Saint-Germain forward’s playing time since the start of the season.

Dembélé has been at the center of debate for several weeks. This season, he has played only 426 minutes out of 720 possible with Paris Saint-Germain, a situation reminiscent of the previous campaign when he accumulated just 1,063 minutes in Ligue 1. The latest rest period that sparked discussion came the weekend before the clash against Manchester City, when PSG hosted Le Mans in the league. Dembélé subsequently made an impact on the pitch by scoring a goal and providing an assist against City.

When asked about a supposed “vacation request” from his player, the Spanish manager brushed aside the controversy with levity. “He’s the boss! He wants a vacation if we give him a vacation. Then he’ll have a vacation. But he’s always joking. I like the way he lives football and his passion for the game,” he said. Before clarifying: “It’s a joke, clearly, but I’m always open to giving players what they want. What they want under normal conditions. But they want to play all the time in the starting team, that’s impossible. They know that’s my responsibility. Being on vacation all the time… Being on vacation is coming to the Campus to train. That’s what being on vacation is.”

Dembélé’s inclusion in the squad for the trip to Strasbourg remains uncertain. The French international, who has yet to score a goal in Ligue 1 this season — managing only one assist in the league — could seize the opportunity to open his account.