PARIS — Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique used his post-match press conference after PSG's 6-1 Champions League victory over Slovan Bratislava to highlight his players' Ballon d'Or prospects.
Enrique named Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembélé, Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz as capable of winning the award at the Oct. 26 ceremony in London. When asked about leaving Kvaratskhelia and Désiré Doué out of the starting lineup, Enrique defended his selection, saying: "There is only one person who must choose the players to play the matches. I tried to find the best players for this match."
He called both absent players "incredible players" and stressed that the recognition for his squad "is very nice for me as a coach and very nice for our supporters."
PSG has nine of the 30 Ballon d'Or nominees—more than any other club. Beyond the four Enrique championed, the list includes Achraf Hakimi, Lucas Pacho, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes and João Neves.
Enrique said the club's dominance on the ballot "is motivation for us and that's what PSG represents." He also referenced the Parc des Princes chant for Dembélé, "and Ousmane Ballon d'or," suggesting the song "in the future can be sung again about another player."
Kvaratskhelia won UEFA's award for best player in the Champions League before the Bratislava match, strengthening his standing as a top contender. Kylian Mbappé and Dembélé have both publicly stated their belief that one of them should win the trophy.
