Dembélé opens up on Mbappé, Doué and his France role | OneFootball

Ousmane Dembélé, the 29-year-old forward for Paris Saint-Germain and the France national team, spoke at a press conference this Thursday ahead of Les Bleus’ match tomorrow against Italy at the Stade de France (kick-off at 8:45 p.m., live on TF1).

Dembélé: “At 29, I really don’t have my mind on that”

There have been reports of some tension with Kylian Mbappé at the start of the training camp. What’s the situation?

No, nothing. Like I said, I don’t comment on all those stories, and I don’t want to comment on them. They’re little social media squabbles and so on. At 29, I really don’t have my mind on that. I’m focused on what matters most, which is the pitch.

Are you still friends with Kylian Mbappé?

Like I said, all those social media stories... Yes, we’ve talked, we sit next to each other at the table, there’s no problem.

Dembélé: “There are a lot of similarities with PSG”

Do you see similar playing principles between PSG and the France team?

Yes, a lot. First of all, the coach gives us a lot of freedom, especially us attackers. Then there’s a fairly similar philosophy, it’s a bit closer to PSG. We try to enjoy ourselves and, as he said, the coach wants his team to play. We have players who are comfortable on the ball, and there are a lot of similarities with PSG.

You’re playing in your favorite position. Are there differences between what Luis Enrique and Zinédine Zidane ask of you?

Yes, it’s a position I know well and where I play practically all season. In these two matches, against Turkey and Belgium, the coach gave me a huge amount of freedom. That’s what I like too, being able to drop deep and help the midfielders build the play. There’s a bit of Luis Enrique and Zinédine Zidane’s touch, as he gave me a huge amount of freedom in that position.

How can you be just as good for France as a number 9 as you are at Paris Saint-Germain?

Oh, like I said, he gives me a lot of freedom. And then, whether it’s at PSG or with France, I’ve got good players around me. During the match, we switch positions a lot, whether it’s with Michael, Bradley or Désiré. There’s a lot of freedom in attack.

As always, I’m going to give my maximum, 100%, to perform well. I know I need to provide assists and score goals, that’s what I like. I’ve got a lot of freedom with France and I feel really good in this team, I’m enjoying myself.

How was this new role explained to you by Zinédine Zidane?

I don’t have more responsibility, I’m a competitor and in every match I want to perform well. As he said, he wants to see every player in their favorite position, and he put me up front, the position I play most often at PSG. Then again, I can play on the right too, that doesn’t bother me. The most important thing is to perform well, play good matches and help the team.

Dembélé: “We’re going to give everything to win”

What does this match against Italy mean to you?

It’s a special match, we know the history between France and Italy. But we want the win, we want the three points, and we know it’s a special match. We’re going to stay focused on the game.

We talked about it with the group and the coach, but not more than that. We’re staying focused on what we have to do. We’ve shown our quality, we have to listen to the coach’s instructions. And coming back to the Stade de France after two or three years feels good. We’re going to give everything to win.

Dembélé: “I’m going to stay the same and help the team”

What does it feel like to wear the armband?

It makes me happy, even if I’m vice-captain. It feels good, it’s a source of pride. And then, like I keep saying and have always said, I’m not going to change the way I am. I’m going to stay the same and help the team, that’s the most important thing.

What kind of vice-captain are you? Do you push yourself to talk a little more with your teammates?

I already talk too much with my teammates. I’m going to stay the same, I talk a bit with everyone. There have been a lot of changes and a lot of new players getting their first call-up. The new players settled in naturally, and I’m staying the same. I don’t want to change. Always help my teammates.

Dembélé: “His future, you can see it, will be bright”

How do you view Désiré Doué’s development? How do you explain his lack of consistency?

Since his time at Stade Rennais, he arrived at PSG at 20, he scored in the Champions League final, he’s had some very good matches, and he’s an important player for us at PSG. His development, for me, is exceptional.

Then again, it’s normal that in a season, with 80 matches in the season, there are ups and downs. That’s normal, but his development is exceptional. He works well. For his age, he’s really very mature, and he’s a good person who wants to help the team, and that’s the most important thing.

He has to keep that mindset, that’s the most important thing. His future, you can see it, will be bright.

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