Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique defended Moroccan international Brahim Diaz on Tuesday after the midfielder faced heavy criticism for missing a penalty in the Africa Cup of Nations final against Senegal.
Speaking ahead of PSG’s Champions League match against Sporting Lisbon, Luis Enrique said the backlash reflected football’s harshness and warned against reducing a young player’s career to a single moment.
“Everyone is talking about Ibrahim, but I remember Zinedine Zidane in a World Cup final, and Sergio Ramos in similar situations,” he said, referring to missed penalties by established stars.
“If you score a Panenka, people applaud. If you miss, the criticism rains down. That’s football.” Luis Enrique said Diaz was an “exceptional player” and a “very good person”, adding that he knew him well and had previously called him up to Spain’s national team.
“What happened is difficult, but it’s still just a sport,” he said. “Ibrahim is not a criminal. He’s a young player going through a hard moment and he needs support, not condemnation.”
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