Luis Enrique believes a PSG player deserves to win the Ballon d'Or and praised the club exceptional transfer window, highlighting Luis Campos work, key departures and the renewed ambition within the squad.
Luis Enrique backs PSG player for Ballon d'Or and praises exceptional transfer window
Luis Enrique has made it clear that he believes the next Ballon d'Or should go to a Paris Saint-Germain player, while at the same time insisting that individual awards are far from his main concern. Speaking ahead of the Ligue 1 meeting with Monaco, the PSG coach reflected on the recognition earned by his squad following another highly successful period for the French club and also gave an emphatically positive assessment of the work completed during the transfer window. For Luis Enrique, the strength of PSG lies above all in the collective, and although several members of his squad could legitimately be considered for the biggest individual prize in world football, he would rather see the team continue to focus on winning together than become distracted by personal accolades.
The Ballon d'Or inevitably featured prominently in the discussion after PSG recent success, but Luis Enrique refused to identify one obvious favourite. Instead, he argued that the achievements of the Parisian side justify one of its players receiving the award and even mentioned Fabián as an example of someone who could be recognised. "I am not interested in knowing who is going to win the Ballon d'Or. What I can say is that the player who deserves to win the Ballon d'Or is someone from PSG. Fabián could win it. It has to be a PSG player. I am not interested in the Ballon d'Or because football is a team sport," he said.
His comments were entirely consistent with the philosophy he has repeatedly tried to establish in Paris. Rather than building the team around the status of one individual, Luis Enrique has placed considerable importance on collective responsibility, competition for places and players accepting that success depends on the contribution of the entire squad. The Spaniard clearly takes pride in the fact that PSG performances have allowed several players to enter conversations normally dominated by individual stars, but his priority remains the trophies won by the team rather than deciding which member of the group deserves the greatest personal recognition.
Full focus turns to Monaco after a busy summer
The remarks came as Luis Enrique prepared PSG for their third match of the French league season against Monaco, a fixture that provides another early test for a squad that has undergone significant changes during the summer. The coach enters the game satisfied with the composition of his team after the transfer market finally closed, and his assessment of the work carried out by the club could hardly have been more positive. Luis Enrique praised both the PSG leadership and sporting adviser Luis Campos, arguing that the club had managed to achieve its objectives while also making difficult decisions regarding several important players who had contributed to recent success.
"The transfer window is over and the assessment I can make is that, in my opinion, we had an exceptional window. Without any doubt. I think the president and the sporting department, together with Luis Campos, did an incredible job. I am very happy," the PSG coach said. His comments underline the degree of coordination he believes exists between the technical staff and the club hierarchy, particularly at a time when squad planning at the highest level is increasingly influenced by sporting requirements, financial regulations and the need to create space for new players.
Luis Enrique also made a point of publicly recognising those who left Paris during the window. Gonçalo Ramos, Kang-in Lee and Bradley Barcola were among the names he highlighted, with the coach stressing that their departures do not erase the contribution they made during their time at the club. "I want to thank the players who left: Ramos, Lee, Barcola... They were very important players in helping us win trophies over the last few years. I wish them all the best. It was necessary because we needed to bring new energy into the team, especially in terms of ambition," he explained.
Barcola departure receives special mention
Bradley Barcola case was singled out by Luis Enrique because of the development the winger experienced after arriving from Lyon. The PSG coach suggested that Barcola had evolved considerably during his time in Paris and that his progress had also contributed positively to the team as a whole. Rather than presenting the transfer as a setback, Luis Enrique framed it as a move from which all parties could benefit, while acknowledging the important role the player had played before leaving.
"The Barcola situation is different because he developed enormously in Paris after we signed him from Lyon. He helped the team grow a lot. Everyone benefits from this situation. We are happy to start the season with this number of players," Luis Enrique said. The remarks also offered an indication of how PSG are approaching squad management after a period in which the club has become increasingly selective about both arrivals and departures. The intention is not simply to accumulate talent, but to maintain a group in which competition remains intense and every player understands the role he is expected to perform.
The departure of several established players could have created concern over whether PSG had weakened themselves, but Luis Enrique clearly does not share that view. His repeated praise for the summer business suggests he believes the squad has emerged from the market better balanced and with renewed motivation. The emphasis on ambition was particularly notable, with the coach explaining that fresh energy was required even after a period of major success. For a team that has already won important trophies, maintaining the same hunger is one of the central challenges, and Luis Enrique appears convinced that the changes made during the summer can help prevent complacency.
Adaptation remains the next challenge
Despite his enthusiasm, Luis Enrique acknowledged that assembling a strong squad on paper is only the beginning. New players do not all adapt at the same speed, and the coach knows that integrating different personalities and footballing characteristics into an established team requires time. His satisfaction with recruitment therefore comes with the understanding that some arrivals may contribute immediately while others will need a longer period before showing their best level.
"What I can say is that I am happy. After that, you have to take into account that the level of adaptation varies from player to player. On the face of it, I am happy; I think we signed the players we wanted to sign," he said. For Luis Enrique, the recruitment process is also about identifying footballers who genuinely want to join the project. He explained that conversations with potential signings allow the club to judge much more than technical ability, with motivation and desire to represent PSG considered essential elements of the decision-making process.
"When you speak to players, it is important to look into their eyes and see the ambition they have to be part of PSG," the Spaniard added. That comment helps explain why Luis Enrique spoke so strongly about bringing fresh energy into the group. At a club already operating at the highest level, recruitment is not simply about finding players with enough talent. PSG also want footballers prepared to compete for places and embrace the pressure associated with joining a team expected to challenge for every competition it enters.
Luis Campos work receives strong backing
Luis Campos also received significant praise from the PSG coach. The sporting department has been responsible for navigating a transfer market in which clubs must balance sporting ambition with increasingly strict financial controls, and Luis Enrique stressed that successful recruitment now depends just as much on selling effectively as it does on buying. His comments reflected the reality facing even the richest clubs in Europe, where Financial Fair Play regulations can influence the timing, structure and scale of transfer activity.
"There are Financial Fair Play rules, which mean you have to know how to sell as well as how to buy," Luis Enrique said. The point is particularly relevant in the context of PSG summer because several high-profile departures created room for the club to reshape the squad while remaining attentive to the financial framework governing European football. The coach therefore judged the window not only by the quality of those who arrived, but by the overall management of the squad and the ability to complete outgoing deals when necessary.
That balance between sporting competitiveness and financial responsibility has become an increasingly important part of PSG planning. Luis Enrique comments suggest that he considers the work of the president, Campos and the wider recruitment team to have achieved both objectives. The club was able to move on players whose cycles in Paris had come to an end, generate the flexibility required to make changes and still provide the coach with a squad he believes is capable of competing at the highest level.
PSG confidence remains high after recent success
Luis Enrique ended his assessment with another strong statement regarding PSG position among the elite of European football. "Clearly, in my opinion, we are one of the best teams in Europe, both on and off the pitch," said the coach, who has twice been crowned European champion. The confidence behind those words reflects not only recent results but also the sense within the club that the sporting project has become more stable and coherent than in previous years.
The challenge now is to translate that confidence into another successful season. Monaco provide the next obstacle in Ligue 1, and Luis Enrique will expect the same collective mentality that he referenced when discussing the Ballon d'Or. The coach has little interest in allowing individual awards to dominate the conversation at a stage when PSG are trying to establish momentum in the league and integrate changes made during the summer.
There is nevertheless no disguising his belief that the achievements of the PSG squad deserve individual recognition. By saying that the Ballon d'Or "has to be" won by one of his players, Luis Enrique made a strong statement about the level the team has reached. At the same time, his insistence that football remains a collective sport captures the central message of his press conference: individual talent matters, but only when it serves the wider ambitions of the team.
With the transfer window closed, departures completed and the squad now fixed for the next stage of the season, Luis Enrique can turn his attention entirely towards competition. He believes PSG recruited the players they wanted, thanked those who left after contributing to recent trophies and praised the work of the club hierarchy in navigating both sporting and financial demands. Whether a PSG player eventually lifts the Ballon d'Or will be decided elsewhere, but the coach has already made his position clear. As far as he is concerned, the performances of his team have earned that recognition, even if his own priority remains adding more collective success to the club trophy cabinet.
