Luis Enrique puts PSG stars on notice at Rennes

Luis Enrique has used Paris Saint-Germain’s 2-2 draw at Rennes to reinforce a central rule of his management: no player is guaranteed a place. The coach’s decision to remove Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia at half-time sent that message to the entire squad, not only to the two established forwards.

PSG trailed 2-0 at the break at Roazhon Park on Sunday when Luis Enrique prepared Ferran Torres and Mika Godts. Dembélé had endured a poor opening half, losing possession nine times, while Kvaratskhelia had only 29 touches. Torres rewarded the change with both PSG goals, securing a point in the club’s opening Ligue 1 match and preventing consecutive defeats after the 1-0 loss to Lens in the Trophée des champions.

The two players were unhappy to be substituted, but there is no lingering dispute within the squad. PSG’s internal view is that the decision formed part of a planned rotation designed to involve the full group from the start of the 2026-27 campaign. Luis Enrique also wants his players to remain demanding of themselves despite the club’s status as double European champions.

His message after the match was that previous achievements cannot earn anyone credit in advance. Players must show their readiness in training and matches, contribute without the ball and accept competition for places. With PSG beginning the league season on one point, the draw underlined both the need for improvement and the value of a squad able to change a game from the bench.