Paris Saint-Germain is in turmoil on and off the pitch as a rift between the club's Sporting Director Luis Campos and manager Luis Enrique is growing; following PSG's 3-match winless streak across all competitions. After having some difficulties with players such as Ousmane Dembele and Gianluigi Donnarumma, Enrique now finds himself in a torn relationship with the Sporting Director of the Paris club.
The relationship between PSG Sporting Director Luis Campos and Luis Enrique is very tense. Disagreements are becoming more frequent and Luis Enrique's job is under pressure.
— Score Universal (@ScoreUniversal) December 8, 2024
— @diarioas pic.twitter.com/aMSq4G2sVh
The scenario at Paris Saint-Germain
PSG have faced two draws in the Ligue 1 and a defeat in the UEFA Champions League in their last three outings across all competitions which seemed to have disappointed Luis Campos, who is keen on signing a new striker in the upcoming January transfer window. However, Campos suggested strikers such as Viktor Gyökeres and Victor Osimhen as potential signings for the club in the upcoming transfer window, but Enrique reportedly rejected both players. The Spanish coach turned down the idea and showed his confidence in the current squad. However, the players are still on the wishlist of PSG but the operation seems to have gotten complicated.
🚨 LUIS ENRIQUE A REFUSÉ TOUT LES N°9 PROPOSÉS PAR LUIS CAMPOS !
— Instant Foot ⚽️ (@lnstantFoot) December 7, 2024
👀 Le conseiller football du PSG a essayé de convaincre le coach espagnol de recruter un avant-centre et a travaillé sur certains dossiers, notamment sur Victor Osimhen et Viktor Gyokeres.
❌ Le tacticien lui a… pic.twitter.com/jJT5n5JUQx
This is the first season PSG's offensive lineup is playing after the departure of Kylian Mbappe, and the Parisian club is leading the Ligue 1 table. However, they have only scored 3 goals in 5 matches in the Champions League and are currently positioned 25th in the UCL league table. These poor runs of results and the team management disagreement have created a rift between the two officials.
Interestingly, Kylian Mbappe's departure last summer brought a tough time at the Parisian club and the two officials dealt with a way tougher situation at the club. The duo worked wonders together to bring in players such as Randal Kolo Muani, Goncalo Ramos, Ousmane Dembele, Lucas Hernandez, Bradley Barcola, and Lee Kang-in in the 2023 summer transfer window. However, recent reports suggest a different scenario between the Spanish manager and the Portuguese official.
Reports suggesting the tussle
Santi Aouna, the renowned journalist of Mercato reported earlier that the relationship between Luis Enrique and Luís Campos has deteriorated in recent times and tensions have appeared between them in recent days. According to Loïc Tanzi of L’Equipe, the relationship has deteriorated and they had some heated arguments as well.
Recently, both of them have had multiple talks, some of which have been quite heated. Campos was at the Campus all week this past week which is a rare thing and the players understood that something was happening and noticed that there was distance between both Enrique and Campos. Since Luis Enrique signed his contract extension (till 2027), he has appeared increasingly intent on maintaining strict control over the squad and everything and has adopted a more closed-off and authoritarian style. Luís Campos has lost a lot of influence that he had in the past at PSG and his voice carries much less weight compared to that of Luis Enrique. This marks a stark contrast to the Christophe Galtier era when Campos interacted daily with the players and got even involved in tactical choices. Meanwhile, Nasser Al-Khelaïfi is watching things from afar without taking any sides. The upcoming winter transfer window will provide valuable insight into the relationship between Luis Enrique and Campos, as well as the evolving balance of power between the two. Campos has been actively communicating with market players about his intention to make significant moves during this January.
(via L’Equipe)
Only a week ago, it was reported that Paris Saint-Germain already planned to extend the contract of both Campos and Enrique in order to keep them together. But now that their relationship has broken down, PSG owner Nasser Al-Khelaifi will have to play a bigger role under these crucial circumstances.