(Reuters) – Paris St-Germain manager Luis Enrique said on Friday that the Ligue 1 leaders do not want to put any additional pressure on the shoulders of forward Bradley Barcola who has been enjoying a fine campaign.
The 22-year-old France international, capped nine times, has scored eight goals in 12 appearances for PSG across all competitions this season.
“I don’t know and I’m not worried …,” Enrique told reporters when asked how far Barcola can he go. “But when he doesn’t score, others will, that’s how teams work.
“There’s no extra responsibility, everyone has to protect everyone, there can’t be one player under more pressure.”
The Spaniard said he was relying on all his players when asked about French forward Randal Kolo Muani, who has been linked with a move away from the reigning Ligue 1 champions.
Kolo Muani, 25, joined PSG from Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt last year and has been named in the starting 11 in just two Ligue 1 matches this season.
“I trust what I see in matches and in training. With a coach like me, a player who isn’t playing can turn his situation around by the way he trains,” Enrique said ahead of Saturday’s home clash against fifth-placed Lens.
PSG will have to partially close a stand at their home stadium when they host Toulouse on Nov. 22 after being sanctioned over homophobic chanting during a game against Strasbourg last month.
Enrique said he condemns any type of physical or verbal violence and homophobic acts of any kind.
“But what I see is that there are only sanctions against PSG. The stand is closed every four mornings, whereas in other teams you hear all kinds of things and I don’t see any sanctions…,” he added.
“But I would remind you that I firmly condemn all types of violence, whether physical or verbal. Verbal violence is already very distressing, physical violence I won’t add to that.”
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru)
