Jérôme Rothen backs Luis Enrique over PSG changes

Jérôme Rothen has rejected the idea that Luis Enrique’s decision to remove Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembélé at half-time showed PSG’s hierarchy had been overturned. The former Monaco player believes the substitutions instead confirmed the coach’s standards and his willingness to judge performances rather than reputations.

PSG were 2-0 down at Rennes after an ineffective first half, with Rothen pointing to a lack of attacking movement, risk-taking, penetration and finishing. Luis Enrique changed both forwards during the interval, and Ferran Torres scored twice after coming on to secure a 2-2 draw. The result prevented PSG from opening their Ligue 1 campaign with a defeat, although it also underlined the poor level that prompted the changes.

Rothen argued that playing and being withdrawn is preferable to being left out altogether. Dembélé appeared in 22 of PSG’s 34 Ligue 1 matches last season, a figure used to challenge the suggestion that a half-time substitution represents a major change in status. Rothen also considers Luis Enrique’s approach consistent with previous seasons, with the most important line-ups likely to remain familiar.

The discussion also framed the competition in attack as potentially useful for PSG throughout the season. Ferran Torres’ response at Rennes has added weight to that argument, while attention now turns to whether Kvaratskhelia and Dembélé return to the starting side for Friday’s difficult trip to Lille.