"I'm fed up with the Ballon d'Or." That line set the tone for Luis Enrique's Champions League preview on the eve of Paris Saint Germain's meeting with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in England, in one of the main duels of the second round of the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday. PSG arrive as the two-time reigning European champions, and 10 of the 30 Ballon d'Or nominees play for the club.

The award debate around PSG

Luis Enrique's point was not subtle. Speaking to A Bola in comments translated from Portuguese, he said, "We can win that trophy, we have players who deserve it. Last year, we won the prize for best team. We showed that it was not just Ousmane Dembélé who deserved it. But I'm tired of this subject."

That lines up with the numbers around PSG's squad. Ousmane Dembélé has seven goals in eight games after joining PSG from Barcelona last summer, and he also has 2 goals and 2 assists in 64 Champions League minutes for the club. Ferran Torres has 3 goals in 73 Champions League minutes for PSG, which gives Enrique's warning about quick swings in judgment some real context.

City's place in the conversation

Enrique also drew a clear line between what Manchester City have done on the pitch and the unresolved Premier League financial regulations case. He said, "We will have to wait for the final decision. I hope everything ends well for Manchester City, because everything they have done on the pitch has been incredible. We have to wait for those who decide. It is surprising. But we must respect the process, wait for the decision. If I speak only about the pitch, they deserve the trophies they won."

That view sits alongside the match itself. City have won all 6 of their Premier League matches this season, while PSG sit 1st in the UEFA Champions League standings with 3 points from 1 match and a goal difference of 5. The off-field case is still open, and Enrique did not try to close it down before the football starts.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →