Are PSG in freefall? Riolo goes over the top!

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·30 de enero de 2026

Are PSG in freefall? Riolo goes over the top!

On After Foot, following the draw against Newcastle on Wednesday in the Champions League (1-1), Daniel Riolo delivered a harsh critique of Paris Saint-Germain, claiming that European success had numbed all criticism. A radical take, which nonetheless overlooks the context of a full season and a club more in adjustment than in free fall.

Riolo: "PSG’s Champions League success emptied our brains of any possible criticism"

"PSG’s Champions League success emptied our brains of any possible criticism. We were in a kind of infinite, blissful admiration. For a long time, we forgot that there had been a turning point last season, against Manchester City. We were in a narrative where Luis Enrique had planned everything, we wrote a fable, a legend… But those with a bit of memory remember the difficulties against Liverpool, Aston Villa, and Arsenal without focusing on Inter Milan. And then, there was the Club World Cup where you ultimately fell short of Bayern and Chelsea. Then there was the European Super Cup where you were behind Tottenham. And during the current Champions League campaign, you’re behind Bayern."

Riolo: "I think now, the counters have been reset"

So, it piles up, it piles up… I think now, the counters have been reset. They’re going to have to show us things again. It’s time to wake up. This Wednesday, we came crashing down from the clouds. The party is over and it’s time to get back to work because things aren’t going well. We look at the team line-ups and we criticize. Ruiz was less good, Barcola is still mediocre in finishing, Kvaratskhelia isn’t at the same level as last season, we haven’t seen the Dembélé from last year since the Ballon d’Or…"

Daniel Riolo’s assessment is not without substance, but it suffers from excess. Yes, PSG is not moving forward today with the same fluidity as during its European peak. Yes, some key players are going through a slump: Fabián Ruiz (29), Bradley Barcola (23), or Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (24) have not yet regained their optimal form, and Ousmane Dembélé (28) is not at the level of consistency seen last season.

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But reducing this phase to an “end of the party” is a biased reading, almost habitual when Paris wobbles. Under Luis Enrique (55), PSG is not starting from scratch: it retains a game framework, collective standards, and a memory of the highest level. After a long and emotionally intense season, adjustment was expected. Confusing digestion with regression remains a classic mistake.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.