Ilya Zabarnyi backed by Luis Enrique after PSG criticism

Luis Enrique has defended Ilya Zabarnyi after the Paris Saint-Germain centre-back came under scrutiny in the aftermath of the club’s Champions League win over Slovan Bratislava. The coach said criticism was an expected part of life at a club of PSG’s size and rejected the idea that one difficult moment should trigger alarm.

PSG won 6-1 on Wednesday, but conceded once, with Zabarnyi criticised for his role in the goal. Speaking on Saturday, Luis Enrique argued that even a dominant victory does not shield players from assessments of their performance. He said the attention should instead be viewed positively because it reflects the demands surrounding a major club.

The coach also pointed to previous periods when Bradley Barcola, Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué faced similar scrutiny, while noting that he too had experienced it. His message was that players will have stronger and weaker spells during a season and can continue improving.

Zabarnyi joined PSG from Bournemouth in a deal that could reach 66 million euros including bonuses, but has yet to fully establish himself in Paris. He is competing with Marquinhos for a place in central defence and could respond to the criticism when PSG visit Stade Brestois on Sunday in the fourth round of Ligue 1.