Luis Enrique and Dembélé highlight the crisis threatening PSG

BarcelonaFrom winning the Ballon d'Or to being singled out by Luis Enrique Martínez. Ousmane Dembélé has gone from having his best season yet to showing a very different side this year. Not only in his playing style, but also in his attitude, and this is being reflected in the recent results of his club, Paris Saint-Germain. The French team is struggling to get going this season. It's practically the same players, the same coach, the same system, and the same ideas, but not the same results. They're experiencing a real rollercoaster ride. In one match they win by a landslide, in the next they win by a single goal, and in the following one they lose. It's hard to understand how things have changed so much when the core of the team is the same.

This inconsistent performance resurfaced this Tuesday in the first leg of the play-off In the Champions League match, Dembélé started but was substituted by Luis Enrique after conceding two goals to Monaco. The apparent reason was discomfort. Désiré Doué, the player who came on in his place, had an immediate impact on the game, scoring to make it 2-1 before halftime. He then completed the Parisian comeback in the second half (2-3).

PSG has dominated Ligue 1 for the last decade. Only Monaco and Lille have briefly challenged their reign of eight championships out of ten seasons. And this year, the historic Lens, leading by a single point, has set its sights on doing the same. Things aren't going much better in the Champions League. Four wins, two draws, and two losses: this has been the record of the Franco-Qatari side in the league. For this reason, they failed to finish in the top eight and must play in the play-off to advance to the round of 16.

PSG came into the first leg of the tie after losing 3-1 away to Rennes. The only bright spot in that lackluster match was Dembélé, who scored a goal. It was he who spoke in a post-match interview and made some comments that revealed there was considerable tension in the dressing room. "Last season we prioritized the club over ourselves. We need to get back to that, especially in matches like this," the winger declared, showing his dissatisfaction with his teammates' attitudes but without singling anyone out. "We're in the second half of the season and PSG has to come first, not individual players. We have to play for the club instead of thinking about ourselves," he insisted.

Luis Enrique wasted no time in responding to these comments. In the post-match press conference after the game against Rennes, the Asturian coach was clear and downplayed the statements Dembélé had made in the heat of the moment. "I will not allow any player to think he is more important than the club. Not me, not the sporting director, not the president, not the club. These statements are worthless. They are the result of anger after a match, and I think that's clear. We have nothing to lose. Players' statements after the game are absolutely worthless. Neither are those of coaches, but... I will not answer any questions or responses from any player. I will never allow any player to put himself above the club. Let that be clear. I am responsible for the team," he insisted.