Former Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos has waxed lyrical about the man management skills of Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique.
The Spaniard guided the French capital club to back-to-back UEFA Champions League finals after edging Kroos’ former club Bayern Munich 6-5 on aggregate.
Kroos was particularly impressed with how he managed Ousmane Dembele during the game. The current Ballon d’Or holder scored in the third minute and played for 65 minutes before he was replaced by Bradley Barcola.
“He takes off the best player in the world in the 65th minute, gives him a high five, and then encourages his teammates from the bench,” the German said on his Einfach Mal Luppen podcast.
“Nobody complains. And that shows a lot of respect for a coach like him, how a coach like that achieves that, and especially how he makes the right decisions.”
Kroos was also full of admiration for Dembele’s character during the game.
“You see him shouting to his teammates to speed up from the bench, unlike 90% of other players who think they’re the stars of their teams: starting to show off on the pitch and then sitting on the bench like a miserable sausage,” he added.
Dembele for the Ballon d’Or again
The 28-year-old Frenchman has been tipped to retain his crown as the best player in the world as PSG aim to win back-to-back trebles.
He will also look to make a strong statement for the France national team who are among the favourites to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, the United States and Mexico.
