Not a punishment, Luis Enrique explains why he took out Mbappé vs Stade Rennais

It was the bombshell news of the day, Luis Enrique replaced Kylian Mbappé in the 60th minute, when Paris Saint-Germain needed the Frenchman the most. Stade Rennais was winning 0-1 when the Spanish coach opted to bench Mbappé.

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Theories quickly emerged on social media as to whether or not it was some kind of punishment. Let us remember that Kylian Mbappé is playing his last games with Paris Saint-Germain, since he has already informed Nasser Al-Khelaifi of his decision to leave the team. Unless there is a surprise at the end, his new team will be Real Madrid.

This was Luis Enrique's explanation in the post-match press conference: "Sooner or later, sooner or later, this is going to happen. We have to get used to playing without Kylian Mbappé, when? Well, when I consider it appropriate, he will play, and when he doesn't, he won't play. Well, like all coaches do with their coaches."

Luis Enrique looks after the future of the team, not for Mbappé: “I want maximum competitiveness for next season. I want all the starting players of this PSG to think that it is a great opportunity. That's what I'm looking for this season and next.”

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PSG saved a point in the 97th minute

“It was a complicated game from the beginning. We were more imprecise than usual, less inspired. But I liked the team's attitude, especially under pressure. In the second half, in general, it was difficult for us to create chances. In the end, I think we deserved the draw.”