Dembele’s reaction to substitution shows how Enrique built PSG on a team-first mentality

When the current Ballon d'Or holder, Ousmane Dembele, was substituted out in the 65th minute by Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique, the French footballer quickly accepted his fate and walked down the pitch: no fuss, no tantrums, no protest.

What Dembele's reaction highlighted was the unity in the PSG dressing room. That there's no place for personal ego. The priority is the team, and everyone is working towards one goal.

And the result on the night proved it! PSG are now into their second consecutive Champions League final, and will aim to become only the second team after Real Madrid to win the European title back-to-back in the modern era.

No ego in PSG dressing room anymore

Despite missing Dembele during the last few minutes in the semi-final second leg at the Allianz Arena, PSG prevailed with a 1-1 win over Bayern Munich. Dembele scored the only goal for the French club in the third minute as they won 6-5 on aggregate.

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Soon after, the 28-year-old attacker was compared with Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior, who had walked off to the dressing room angry at being subbed off during an El Clásico game against Barcelona by then-manager Xabi Alonso in October last year.

While comparisons could be misleading at times, the social media chatter isn't far from the truth. PSG's first Champions League title came 14 years after Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), a sovereign wealth fund, acquired the club and it finally came after they dumped the star-first culture and adopted a team-first attitude under the Spanish tactician Enrique.

Before the Enrique revolution in Paris, PSG have had some of the biggest names in world football -- Lionel Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Ángel Di María and others. But when you put so many superstars in the same dressing room, it becomes impossible to make everyone work towards a single goal.

Enrique's revolution at PSG

The biggest players get to the top by being selfish. They believe in their methods more than anything. It's impossible to change their attitude. You can't be the best without being stubborn and that's why PSG had to suffer despite putting together some of the best players.

But the scenario has been starkly different since the superstars left.

It's not that PSG don't have star players anymore. 2025 Ballon d'Or winner Dembele leads a glittering squad that also includes Bradley Barcola, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Vitinha and Joao Neves, but they have fewer egos and more team players now.

One of the biggest changes has appeared in the work rate of the players. Unlike Messi, Neymar and Mbappe, who often stayed in the final third waiting for goal-scoring opportunities, the current PSG attackers cover the entire pitch like overzealous jaguars.

They hunt for the ball in packs and never allow the opposition any breathing room to exploit possession and create attacking opportunities against them.

Explaining the phenomenon, Dembele recently said, "It's simple. If you don't press, if you don't run, Luis Enrique puts you on the bench."

Now you know how things have changed at PSG.

For years, PSG tried to conquer Europe by collecting the world’s biggest football stars. But it was only after the glamour faded and the egos disappeared that they finally discovered what champions truly look like.

Under Enrique, PSG are no longer a team built around individuals waiting for moments; they are a ruthless collective that runs, presses, sacrifices, and fights together. And that transformation may prove to be the greatest signing the club has ever made.