Luis Enrique had no shortage of praise for his players after Paris Saint-Germain's emphatic 6-1 win over Slovan Bratislava in the UEFA Champions League. Then came the thorny question of the Ballon d'Or, with his side boasting a host of contenders for the award.
PSG opened their European campaign in style, a welcome contrast to their stuttering start in Ligue 1, where they managed just two draws and suffered one defeat.
Ferran Torres bagged a hat-trick and Ousmane Dembélé a brace as the Parisians took control of the Slovan clash. Dembélé also laid on two assists for his teammate, with Fabián Ruiz adding a goal of his own.
Enrique praises Dembélé
Luis Enrique reshuffled his line-up during the match, resting a number of his stars. Dembélé played only an hour as part of his gradual return to fitness.
The Spaniard could not hide his admiration for what his French forward produced. "We did a wonderful job and played very well," he told Canal+ after the match, in comments carried by "Foot Mercato".
Dembélé earned special praise. "Today, I think the one who surprised me most is Ousmane Dembélé. What strength! With the ball and without it," Enrique said.
He added: "Is this because he faced criticism from me? No, no, this is Ousmane himself. When I see this level from Ousmane, it is very enjoyable, and I enjoy seeing him every day with these ambitions."
Enrique had left Dembélé out between the two halves of the Rennes match, then handed him a spell of rest away from the club's training centre early in the season to recharge.
Read also:
Topped by Salah: Hakimi equals Eto'o on a historic African list
Enrique opens the door to 4 stars
Turning to the Ballon d'Or, the PSG boss weighed in on a race that features more than one of his players among the nominees.
"There is only one person who must choose the players who take part," Enrique said. "I tried to select the best players for this match, but Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Doué are two amazing players."
Asked directly about the race, the Spaniard refused to name just one man. "Khvicha can win it, and so can Dembélé, Vitinha and Fabián," he affirmed.
He added: "This is a wonderful thing for me and for our fans. To have this number of players capable of winning the Ballon d'Or."
For all the contenders in his squad, Enrique made clear he is no great fan of individual awards.
He said: "Our fans are chanting today: Ousmane, Ballon d'Or, but in the future we may hear this chant for another player."
Ten PSG players sit among the 30 Ballon d'Or nominees: Ousmane Dembélé, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Achraf Hakimi, Fabián Ruiz, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, Marquinhos, João Neves, Willian Pacho and Ferran Torres.
You can discuss the topics and news in greater depth in the "Kooora" forums