Sports
Barcola Wanted A More Significant Role, Which I Couldn’t Guarantee Him- Enrique
Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique still holds Barcola in high regard following his €125 million transfer to Liverpool.
He did not attempt to force the forward to stay after explaining that he could not meet one of the player’s key demands.
On Friday at 3:05 AM CEST, Paris will host Monaco. At his pre-match press conference, Enrique specifically addressed the winger’s departure and explained his reasons.
“He wanted a more important role in the team.”
“The transfer window is finally over,” said the Spanish coach. “The assessment I can give is that we have completed a very successful transfer operation, without doubt. The president and the sports department, particularly Luis Campos, have done an excellent job. I am very satisfied. I want to pay tribute to the players who left: Ramos, Lee, ‘Ibé’ (M’Baye), and Barcola. They were all very important in helping the team win trophies over the past two years. I wish them all the best. This was necessary because we needed to inject new vitality into the team in terms of mentality and ambition.”
He then addressed the French winger’s situation directly. Barcola currently has 28 national team appearances and 6 goals. “Barcola’s situation is somewhat different for me because he developed considerably at Paris after arriving from Lyon,” Enrique said. “His performances also helped the team improve significantly. He wanted to have a greater role in the team, but I couldn’t guarantee him that. In the end, I think this situation is good for everyone. I respect this decision and wish him all the best. We are happy to begin the new season with this squad.”
Enrique was reluctant to dwell on the departure of a player capable of getting in behind defenses and making a significant impact. He preferred to emphasize that all parties benefited from the deal while also praising the former Lyon player’s character.
“Ultimately, I think everyone is a winner,” he stressed. “He wanted to leave because he desired more playing time and a more prominent role. But I cannot guarantee any player that, because it must be earned through training and matches. He has always been important and a player very well-liked by his teammates. For everyone, this was not easy because Barcola is a great person. I only discussed positive things with him. Since he had two years remaining on his contract, he ultimately decided to leave. We accept that and wish him all the best. This is football, and it must be accepted. It is normal that some players who were very important to the team will leave in the future, but that’s life, that’s reality, and it must be accepted.”
Paris St-Germain’s Ligue 1 match against Lyon has been pushed back 24 hours to Monday as the French capital prepares for another weekend of protests.
The fixture at the Parc des Princes in Paris had been scheduled to kick off at 19:45 GMT on Sunday but will instead take place at 20:30 on Monday.
The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) announced the postponement in a statement on Friday after French police prohibited the fixture from taking place on its original date.
French authorities are preparing a major security operation for demonstrations planned for Saturday.
Around 550,000 people took part in demonstrations last Saturday to protest rising fuel prices, education standards and the cost of living, which have escalated after weeks of student protests.
Marches took place in several major French cities, including Paris, backed by unions and student groups, and were marred by some incidents of violence, looting and destruction.
The security challenge is further complicated by Sunday’s NFL match between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints at the Stade de France, an event expected to require a significant police deployment.
The game will be played in Saint-Denis, about 10km from Place de la Bastille, where the protests are expected to begin.
The disruptions have already affected France’s domestic football schedule with Toulouse’s Ligue 1 home game against Troyes moved from Saturday to Sunday at the request of authorities.
Reigning French and European champions PSG are second in the standings after seven matches, while Lyon lead the table on 14 points, ahead of the holders on goal difference.
The match will also now be played on the same day as the Ballon d’Or ceremony in London.
Injured PSG pair Ousmane Dembele, the 2025 winner, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are among the contenders for the award.
In Round 11 of the Saudi League, Al-Nassr faced Al-Fayha away from home. In the second half, Félix set up Ronaldo for a free kick, which Ronaldo converted for his 982nd career goal. Late in the match, Ronaldo started an attack that Ângelo Borges finished to seal a 3-1 victory for Al-Nassr.
The Portuguese national team posted a congratulatory message on social media after the match: “Cristiano Ronaldo adds another goal to his tally!”
Germany manager Jürgen Klopp has stated he favors Barcelona to win Sunday’s El Clásico against Real Madrid.
In his view, Hansi Flick’s Barcelona is clearly the stronger team at this stage. However, Klopp also admitted he has always had a personal preference for Barcelona.
In an interview with German broadcaster DAZN, Klopp confirmed he would not miss the highly anticipated Spanish football clash: “Of course, I will watch El Clásico between Barcelona and Real Madrid. I have watched this match at every stage of my life.”
Klopp also discussed how his views on the rivalry have evolved and why he supports compatriot Hansi Flick’s Barcelona.
Klopp said: “In the past, I supported Barcelona more because I hated how Pepe and other defenders used to just sweep everything away in the backline. That was the only reason I always supported Barcelona. Nowadays, I look at the game from a neutral perspective. I support the stronger team. And as things stand, that team is likely to be Barcelona.”
Barcelona has had a strong start to the season and will host their old rivals at Camp Nou, currently leading Real Madrid by six points. However, Barcelona suffered their first defeat of the season this week against Paris Saint-Germain.
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