Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique says his side have only now been given the opportunity to prepare properly for their Ligue 1 campaign after beginning the 2026-27 season with two successive matches for silverware.
The comments came as Enrique responded to questions about Paris Saint-Germain’s less convincing recent results. The club opened the season with back-to-back games involving trophies before starting their domestic league programme.
Paris Saint-Germain began with a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa in the UEFA Super Cup. They then suffered a 1-0 defeat by Lens in the French Super Cup, leaving the team without another piece of silverware despite having won their opening match of the campaign.
The Parisian side followed that defeat with a 2-2 draw against Rennes in the first round of Ligue 1. Paris Saint-Germain had to recover from a difficult position to earn a point, continuing a start that has included both success and disappointment.
Enrique said the sequence of fixtures had limited the amount of time available for a methodical build-up to the domestic season. The team has now reached a stage where it can focus on preparing for upcoming Ligue 1 matches rather than immediately competing for another trophy.
“We have only now had a break for systematic preparation for the matches of the domestic championship,” Enrique said, according to the explanation reported after he was asked about the team’s recent results.
The opening weeks have therefore brought three contrasting outcomes for Paris Saint-Germain: victory against Aston Villa, defeat by Lens and a draw with Rennes. The results have come in three different competitions and under a schedule that began with two trophy matches in succession.
The draw with Rennes means Paris Saint-Germain are still searching for their first Ligue 1 win of the season. Their campaign began with a point rather than three, while their first domestic trophy opportunity ended in defeat against Lens.
Matvey Safonov was in goal for Paris Saint-Germain in all three matches. The Russian goalkeeper started against Aston Villa in the UEFA Super Cup, against Lens in the French Super Cup and in the Ligue 1 meeting with Rennes.
Enrique’s explanation places the team’s early results in the context of its unusual opening schedule. Paris Saint-Germain had to contest the UEFA Super Cup and French Super Cup before being able to devote uninterrupted preparation to their domestic league fixtures.
The club’s next phase of the campaign will now be shaped by its efforts in Ligue 1, with more regular preparation time available after the demanding start. For Enrique, that change in the schedule is central to understanding why Paris Saint-Germain have not begun the season with a perfect record.
