Luis Enrique Defends Zabarnyi Amid PSG Criticism

Luis Enrique did not hesitate. As soon as Illia Zabarnyi’s name came up, the Paris Saint-Germain coach went on the front foot.

Criticism? Part of the job description.

Speaking on Saturday ahead of Sunday’s Ligue 1 trip to Brest, Enrique pushed back at the scrutiny around his Ukrainian centre-back, who is into his second season in Paris after a move worth more than 60 million euros in the summer of 2025.

Zabarnyi started only his second game of the campaign in midweek, a 6-1 Champions League win over Slovan Bratislava. Even that, Enrique suggested, would not shield anyone at PSG from debate.

“Criticism? This is a natural thing,” he said, as reported by RMC. “When you are at a club like Paris Saint-Germain, there will always be criticism.

“Even if you win 6-1, you will find criticism of the players. It is very positive that there is this noise, because it means we are at a big club.”

Names that prove the point

Enrique did not just offer vague support. He reached for examples from his own dressing room, players who have already ridden out the storm.

“I remember the criticism that Barcola, Dembélé, Doué and, of course, Luis Enrique faced,” he said, gesturing towards himself as another target who had to absorb the blows.

“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.”

Zabarnyi’s situation underlines that message. Across all competitions last season, the 21-year-old made 37 appearances, a solid return for a first year in a new league and a new environment. But he never truly displaced the established pairing of Marquinhos and Willian Pacho at the heart of the defence. The hierarchy stayed firm; Zabarnyi hovered just behind it.

Slow start, loud noise

The wider context explains why every selection, every mistake, every omission is being magnified.

PSG have stumbled out of the blocks in Ligue 1, taking only two points from their opening three games. For a club that measures itself in titles, that is enough to set alarms ringing around the Parc des Princes.

They lost to Lens in the Champions Cup, a game Zabarnyi started. He then dropped to the bench for the league fixtures that followed, watching Monaco beat PSG 2-1 and seeing Lille and Rennes hold them to 2-2 draws.

While he returned to the XI in Europe against Slovan Bratislava, Zabarnyi is still waiting for his first Ligue 1 minutes of the season. A 6-1 Champions League win has not yet translated into domestic trust.

Enrique, though, chose this moment to draw a line. In a week where results have been questioned and individual performances pulled apart, the coach framed the noise as the price of ambition, not a reason to panic.

For Zabarnyi, that backing could be crucial. The real question now is whether the coach’s public defence will soon be matched by a starting spot when the league pressure tightens again.