Ousmane Dembele on how Luis Enrique’s plan to ‘drive the opposition crazy’ has got the best out of him ahead of Champions League final | OneFootball

Ousmane Dembele says the freedom manager Luis Enrique has afforded him has helped to get the best out of him this season.

PSG take on Inter Milan in the Champions League final on Saturday night with Dembele having enjoyed a phenomenal campaign, scoring 33 goals and setting up 13 in all competitions.

It has been a long road for Dembele, from his disappointing spell at Barcelona following his €105 million move from Borussia Dortmund to becoming a Ballon d’Or contender with PSG.

And ahead of the Champions League final, Dembele heaped praise on his boss Enrique.

“Since the very beginning when I met Luis, when I was first able to sit down and chat with him, I knew that he trusted me,” Dembele said.

“I knew he put his faith in me as a number nine. It’s a position I’m used to playing so I think I have been able to adapt well to the position.

“I’ve got a lot of freedom to move to the right and to the left flank if I need to and if I want to. It’s a position that I enjoy playing.

“It’s about creating uncertainty for the opponent. Sometimes you can be in front of the defensive line, sometimes you’re playing behind them. It’s just about driving them crazy really.

“It’s a position I love playing and I’ve been able to adapt to.”

Dembele moved to PSG in 2023 but endured a frustrating debut campaign with the club, scoring just six times in all competitions.

And reflecting on his journey, Dembele said: “I feel so proud of being here in the Champions League final.

“We have worked really hard. It’s not always been easy. We got off to a shaky start in the Champions League but we were able to really make a difference especially in the second half of the season.

“I’ve been able to kick things up a notch, the team has been able to up their game and I’m delighted with everything we’ve done to get here, especially since January we’ve really had a change of mindset.”