A press report has revealed a surprising development in the relationship between Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique and France forward Ousmane Dembélé.
Dembélé has never hidden how much he owes Luis Enrique, the coach who transformed his career and steered him to the 2025 Ballon d'Or.
That relationship hasn't been free of friction, though. The latest flashpoint came in the dressing room at Roazhon Park.
You can discuss topics and news in greater depth in the Kooora forums
PSG fell 2-0 behind in their opening French league match against Rennes, a game moved from the Parc des Princes due to the poor condition of the pitch. Then Luis Enrique surprised everyone. He hauled Dembélé off in the second half and sent on Ferran Torres, who marked his debut with two goals to level the score.
"This is football," Luis Enrique said afterwards. "Paris Saint-Germain have not won anything, nothing at all. If you get preoccupied with what you have won, you will not win anything. The most important thing for me is that there is no room for complacency: you have to prove yourself every day, in every training session, in every match. Otherwise, it is easy to become complacent."
He went on: "No. Our aim is always to win, and to achieve that, you have to step out of your comfort zone. Is that clear?".
According to "L'Équipe", tense moments then unfolded in the dressing room between Luis Enrique and Dembélé.
You can discuss topics and news in greater depth in the Kooora forums
At full time, the Frenchman was the last PSG player to board the bus. L'Équipe report that Dembélé had stayed behind to wait for his coach.
Short of rest, Dembélé agreed with Luis Enrique to extend his leave. He won't rejoin the team until Monday, ruling him out of the match against Lille.