Luis Enrique Defends Zabarnyi Amid PSG Criticism
Luis Enrique did not hesitate. The first mention of Illia Zabarnyi’s name in Saturday’s press conference and the Paris Saint-Germain coach went straight on the front foot.
Criticism? He was having none of the hand-wringing.
“Criticism? This is a natural thing,” he said, as reported by RMC, ahead of Sunday’s trip to Brest. “When you are at a club like Paris Saint-Germain, there will always be criticism.”
Zabarnyi has felt it early in his second season in Paris. The Ukrainian centre-back arrived in the summer of 2025 for more than 60 million euros, a price tag that brings its own spotlight. Yet this week’s 6-1 Champions League win over Slovan Bratislava was only his second start of the campaign.
Even that resounding scoreline did not silence the noise.
“Even if you win 6-1, you will find criticism of the players,” Enrique continued. “It is very positive that there is this noise, because it means we are at a big club.”
The message was clear: the storm is part of the job description.
Enrique leans on PSG’s recent history
Enrique did not limit his defence to Zabarnyi alone. He broadened the picture, using recent PSG history as his argument.
“I remember the criticism that Barcola, Dembélé, Doué and, of course, Luis Enrique faced,” he said, nodding to his own bumpy early months in the job.
Those names matter. Bradley Barcola, Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué – all went through their own trial by opinion at the Parc des Princes before finding their feet. Enrique placed Zabarnyi on that same path, not as an exception but as part of a pattern.
“This is natural. I think it simply works this way. We have to appreciate the fact that we are one of the best clubs in the world. I am very happy with my squad.”
Behind the public backing sits a simple reality: Zabarnyi has not yet locked down a starting role.
Across all competitions last season, the defender made 37 appearances. Solid volume for a first year, but not the minutes of an undisputed starter. Marquinhos and Willian Pacho have formed the core of the central defence, blocking his route to a permanent place.
Tough opening, tight margins
The wider context explains the sharpened tone around PSG’s performances.
Domestically, the champions have stumbled out of the blocks. Two points from their first three Ligue 1 matches have set nerves jangling far earlier than anyone at the club would have liked.
They lost to Lens in the Champions Cup, a game Zabarnyi started. The defeat was followed by a spell on the bench for the Ukrainian as the league campaign began to creak.
Monaco beat PSG 2-1. Lille and Rennes then both held them to 2-2 draws. Leads slipped, control evaporated, and the questions grew louder with each dropped point.
Through it all, Zabarnyi has yet to play a single Ligue 1 minute this season. His starting role against Slovan Bratislava offered a reminder of his presence, but not yet a shift in his domestic status.
For now, Enrique is drawing a line in the sand around his defender. The criticism will not stop. At PSG, it never does. The real answer will come when the team sheet drops in Ligue 1 and we see whether this public defence turns into trust on the pitch.
