Paris St Germain manager Luis Enrique said he was disappointed with his side’s lack of intensity after they lost their last Ligue 1 game of the season on Sunday and urged his players to rediscover their fire ahead of the Champions League final.
PSG, who had already secured their fifth straight title, were beaten 2-1 by local rivals Paris FC on Sunday and Enrique said it was clear that motivation was an issue. “Nothing positive to say about this match,” he told reporters.
“When you play football without ambition or intensity, this is the sort of thing you’d expect to see. I knew before the match how difficult it would be to play this sort of game with no objective, but I’m a bit disappointed.”
PSG are not in action again until May 30 when they defend their Champions League crown in the final against Arsenal. “I think my players need to overcome difficult matches and stay motivated,” the Spanish manager added.
“The final part of the season will be more complicated than usual because last year we played in the French Cup final and that was very motivating for us. But there are still two weeks to go before what I’d call the most important match in our history, and I certainly hope that by that day, there’ll be no need to motivate the players.”
Dembele has treatment for leg issue
Meanwhile, forward Ousmane Dembele needs treatment for a right calf issue, PSG said, ahead of the Champions League final against Arsenal later this month. The Ballon d’Or winner was substituted after half an hour during Sunday’s 2-1 Ligue 1 defeat against Paris FC “as a precaution after experiencing some discomfort in his right calf,” PSG said in a statement. “Dembele will be having treatment over the next few days,” the club added.
The 29-year-old did not appear to be struggling when he left the field and boarded the team bus after the match without limping. “I think it is just due to fatigue,” Enrique said. “It has been a tricky end to the season but now we have two weeks to prepare for the biggest match in our history.”
The former Barcelona player has suffered numerous physical setbacks this season, particularly thigh and calf issues. Meanwhile, Achraf Hakimi resumed individual training on Saturday after a thigh problem, as did Willian Pacho, Nuno Mendes, and Lucas Chevalier.
All three were unavailable for Sunday’s match against Paris FC. Luis Enrique’s side face Arsenal in Budapest on May 30.
