Luis Enrique, coach of Paris Saint-Germain, dismissed criticism from Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé regarding a perceived lack of team spirit, ahead of PSG’s Champions League knockout playoff first leg at AS Monaco FC on Tuesday.

Dembélé had voiced frustration following PSG’s 3-1 loss at Stade Rennais FC, urging greater unity and calling for players to focus on collective effort rather than individual play. The defeat capped a difficult spell for the Ligue 1 giants, who have struggled to dominate domestically and have failed to secure a top-eight finish in the Champions League over recent months.

“There’s always a lot of noise around PSG, and we have to accept it. That’s it,” Enrique said at Monday’s pre-match press conference when asked about Dembélé’s comments. He had similarly downplayed the remarks following Friday’s Rennes defeat.

“The defeat was cruel because, considering the chances we created, it was similar to what we produced against Marseille when we scored five goals. But we only managed one against Rennes,” Enrique added. “We would have liked to come to Monaco with a victory, that’s true, but it’s the Champions League and we’re motivated.”

PSG previously lost 1-0 at Monaco in November. “We can expect a match similar to the one we played then. We’re not going to change anything because we’re going to try to win this match,” Enrique said.

He also brushed aside concerns about facing a domestic rival in European competition. “It’s football; it’s the same situation. You have to try to do the same thing to win the match. What I hope is to see the best version of PSG. We started the Champions League last season with the same lack of efficiency, but looking at the results later, it showed we were superior to our opponents. That’s what we’re aiming for again, and I’m sure we can get back to that very quickly,” he added.