Luis Enrique has responded to Roberto De Zerbi’s remarkable statements after Le Classique. PSG defeated Olympique Marseille on Sunday, extending their lead in the standings to 19 points and leaving Marseille’s coach feeling powerless. "For me, it’s no longer a Clasico," the Italian said. The PSG coach, in turn, found that remark belittling towards French football.
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Roberto De Zerbi continued his argument that Le Classique has lost its meaning, pointing to the financial disparity between Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Marseille.
"The budgets are simply not comparable," he said, suggesting that the overwhelming economic gap between the two clubs has diminished the competitiveness of the fixture. The Italian coach, who took over at Marseille in an effort to rebuild the club into a serious challenger, expressed frustration at the structural imbalance in French football.
"A classic is a battle where you can give and take blows," De Zerbi added during his post-match press conference after Marseille’s 3-1 defeat to PSG. His comments reflected a sense of resignation, as Marseille once considered PSG’s fiercest domestic rival now appears significantly inferior to the reigning champions. The gap in quality was evident on the pitch, with PSG controlling most of the game and securing a comfortable victory to extend their lead at the top of Ligue 1 to 19 points.
Despite De Zerbi’s claims that the rivalry has lost its significance, Luis Enrique was quick to respond, firmly rejecting the idea that Le Classique is no longer a meaningful fixture. "Ligue 1 is what it is. We have a 19-point lead because my team is simply much stronger than the rest, but when I look at French clubs in Europe, I see them challenging the best," the PSG coach said. "French football is unfairly undervalued."
Luis Enrique's response was a direct challenge to the narrative that Ligue 1 is uncompetitive, an argument often made in European football discussions. While PSG’s dominance in domestic competitions has been clear, the Spaniard defended the league, pointing out that French teams have made strong performances in Europe in recent years. His remarks reflected a broader frustration that Ligue 1 does not receive the same level of respect and recognition as the Premier League, La Liga, or Serie A, despite PSG and other French clubs making deep runs in the Champions League and Europa League.
The discussion around PSG’s financial power became another key topic, as Luis Enrique responded to De Zerbi’s comments about the economic strength of the club. The Spaniard dismissed complaints about PSG’s financial advantages, embracing the club’s wealth as a positive aspect rather than an unfair advantage. "That PSG has great economic potential is undeniable, and that is actually one of the things I like," Luis Enrique admitted. "Anyone who doesn’t like it is out of luck; that’s how football works. We want to make history and beat the best teams in the world."
His response was a clear statement of intent, reinforcing PSG’s ambition to compete at the highest level. While critics have often accused PSG of relying on financial superiority rather than footballing tradition, Enrique sees the club’s spending power as an opportunity to establish itself among Europe’s elite. His comments suggested that rather than apologizing for their resources, PSG should embrace their status and continue striving to win the Champions League, a trophy that has eluded them despite years of heavy investment.
An interesting detail in this debate is that back in February, De Zerbi himself had made a very different statement, contradicting his current stance. At the time, the Italian coach stated that he wanted Marseille to become PSG’s next challenger, indicating a strong ambition to close the gap between the two clubs. "If you don’t have the ambition to aim higher, it can be frustrating and even humiliating," De Zerbi said at the time. "That ambition is something that doesn’t necessarily materialize immediately, but just like the board and players such as Rulli, Rabiot, Højbjerg, Bennacer, and Kondogbia I didn’t come here to finish second."
His earlier determination to challenge PSG now seems at odds with his recent complaints about the financial gap. While Marseille has struggled to keep pace with the Parisian giants, De Zerbi’s latest comments indicate that he may be feeling increasing frustration with the reality of the situation. The shift in tone raises questions about Marseille’s future ambitions and whether the club will invest sufficiently to genuinely challenge PSG in the coming years.
For now, PSG remains in complete control of Ligue 1, with another title all but secured. The club’s focus is now fully on European success, with Luis Enrique determined to lead PSG to their first-ever Champions League title. Meanwhile, Marseille’s struggles continue, and De Zerbi will have to find a way to regain momentum if he hopes to restore competitiveness to French football’s biggest rivalry.
Updated: 05:04, 17 Mar 2025
