PSG vs Arsenal - Luis Enrique pre-match press conference

Ahead of their Champions League clash against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday evening, Luis Enrique sat down to comment on his team's news and expanded on the Ousmane Dembele situation.

Earlier today, the news of Ousmane Dembele being left out of Paris Saint-Germain'Saint-Germain's squad came out. With it many questions arose and without a doubt all the attention and questions of the journalists were about the winger's absence in the group. Here are his full comments on the situation, translated by us.

PSG vs Arsenal - Luis Enrique pre-match press conference

You chose not to select Ousmane Dembele for this game, can you explain why?

"Of course, without any problem. If someone doesn't comply with the requirements for the team, it means that they are not ready. It means, in such an important week, with such an important game coming up, we need every player to be fully available. Therefore, I left him out and I want the best for the team."

In recent years, there has rarely been such an important decision taken by a PSG coach ahead of a big Champions League game, how supported have you been by Luis Campos in your decision?

"You think that selecting a team is easy. You press a button and the best 11 players play and everything goes well. No. Making a team takes a certain amount of circumstances that can be difficult. Yesterday I had to make a difficult decision, that was best for the team. Without any doubt possible. I would do it a hundred times more, but it doesn't mean that it is irreversible. I made the best decision possible. I signed for Paris Saint-Germain last year to build a team, this I can guarantee. Until my last day on the job, I will make a team. A brave team, daring, plays good football, or at least tries to. We will go out there and try to win every game like we will do tomorrow. I can guarantee all that but I cannot guarantee trophies like the Champions League, unfortunately. The first day I cannot do that, I will go back home. And of course, I was backed by the board and the club because they brought me to build a team and that is what I'm going to do. There is no doubt about that. Ousmane Dembele is in my team if anyone had any doubt."

You have often heaped praise on Ousmane Dembele, so it must have been a difficult decision for you. How did Ousmane Dembele react to it?

"I don't have anything more to add to my previous answers. You have got enough to go with."

What exactly happened after the game against Stade Rennais?

"I am very honest, but I am not going to make a soap opera out of it. There was no argument between the player and me. This is fake. There was a problem with the player's responsibility to the team. Nothing else."

Is the punishment of Ousmane Dembele some sort of warning for the rest of the squad?

"I have nothing else to say on this subject. We already lost game with Ousmane Dembele, we've lost at Newcastle, we lost against Milan, we lost against Dortmund, we lost at home against Barcelona. Oh, I'm scared, so scared."

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