Ousmane Dembele reflects on his time and injury ordeals at Barcelona – ‘It was complicated’ | OneFootball

Paris Saint-Germain winger Ousmane Dembele, one of the favourites for this month’s Ballon d’Or alongside Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, has opened up about his journey at Barça.

In a recent interview with Guillem Balague (h/t FourFourTwo), the Frenchman, who lifted the Champions League with PSG last season, reflected on his early struggles with injuries, growth, and eventual maturity during his time in Catalonia.

What Dembele said about his time at Barcelona

Dembele joined Barcelona in 2017, at the age of just 20 and with the weight of a €135 million price.

Talking about challenges at Barcelona of arriving as a 20-year-old in a star-studded dressing room, he said, “It was complicated, especially since I arrived at the club after only 18 months as a professional, six months at Rennes and then a year at Dortmund.

“To arrive at Barcelona at the age of twenty in a dressing room full of stars, with all the players I dreamed of playing alongside, it was extraordinary,” he added.

Dembele played at Barcelona for six years, making just 185 competitive appearances in the process. The forward admitted that injuries played a key role in stifling his progress.

Dembele does not regret his spell at Barcelona. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

“I wasn’t lucky for three or four years because of injuries. When I was able to play, I had to adapt, and when I couldn’t, I had to stay strong, but I was doing what I love, and I was at my dream club, Barcelona. It wasn’t easy, but after three or four years, things got much better,” he said.

The French international went on to explain how he eventually learned to take care of his body, and injuries pushed him to embrace discipline.

“Because I arrived at Barcelona with only a year and a half as a professional, I didn’t go to the gym much, but instead went straight to the pitch with a lot of energy and some talent too,” he said.

“After one injury, two, three, four, you realise that you have to take care of your body, and that football at the highest level requires more than just talent,” he added.

Finally, Dembele added that the experience at Barcelona was life-changing as he became more mature and a leader on the pitch.

“I am happy with everything that happened in Barcelona, because it is the place where I matured as a person, both on and off the field.

“I also made many friends there and still keep in touch with them. Therefore, it was an exceptional period for me, and above all, it was a time of learning,” he concluded.

Dembele’s interview comes against the backdrop of a recent injury against Ukraine, which could be problematic for PSG ahead of their Champions League tie against Barcelona at the start of October.