PSG, Club World Cup, Mbappé, Messi… Dembélé opens up | OneFootball

Ousmane Dembélé, the 29-year-old forward for Paris Saint-Germain and Spain, spoke at length in an interview with Marca. The Parisian number 10 discussed, among other things, his second Champions League title, the World Cup to be played with the French national team, Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi, and his move to PSG from FC Barcelona in 2023, along with the impact of coach Luis Enrique since then.

Dembélé: “it was a very different match from last season’s”

How do you feel about this second Champions League title? Is it more special than the first?

Yes, I think the second one is a little more special. Of course, the first was exceptional, but the second was too, and it was a very different match from last season’s. Against Inter, I think we controlled the match better once we were ahead.

This time, it was a little more difficult; we conceded the first goal and had to stay in the match in order to come back. We knew Arsenal defended very well, we didn’t have many chances, but in the end we won by one goal, and we are champions.

Dembélé: “over the last two years, we have shown that we can still win this trophy”

Where are the limits for this PSG side? Have you managed to impose a style of play with authority?

Yes, that’s it, and neither the coach, nor the president, nor the sporting advisor set any limits for us. Every season, from the very start, we try to win every trophy. We know it is something special, even though there are very, very strong teams, and over the last two years, we have shown that we can still win this trophy. We try to prove it in every match.

Dembélé: “we are going to try to be even stronger next season.”

And can PSG and Ousmane keep improving?

Of course, we can improve. We have excellent players, including young ones. I have also improved a lot under Luis Enrique; I have a little more experience, but there is a very young group that will keep improving a lot and gaining a lot of experience, even though they already have some at 20 years old. But I think we will keep improving; we are going to try to be even stronger next season.

Do you cover more ground per match with PSG or with the French national team?

It depends, but I think it’s hard to say, because at Paris Saint-Germain I play more centrally and probably run more. In every match, I want to give everything; I want to try to help the team. We know I’m not the one who covers the most ground in the team. I know Doué covered 15 kilometers in the final, which is incredible. I don’t cover that much, but we try not to stop and to work hard.

Dembélé: “I can do a bit of both.”

Does your role change with the French national team? Do you also want to play more centrally like at PSG?

I can do a bit of both. In March, I also played there when the coach set up a system where the forwards made a lot of runs, and we didn’t have many players in the squad capable of playing on the right, on the left, or through the middle.

We were also trying to unsettle the opposition a little and be less predictable in order to have more options. And yes, with the French national team, I can play on the left, on the right, or in the center, a bit like at Paris Saint-Germain.

Dembélé: “So we will be a team under a lot of pressure”

Do you feel like favorites for this World Cup?

There are a lot of favorites, you know, and that doesn’t mean much anymore in football. Many teams are favorites in this competition. On top of that, we know that the French national team reached two finals in the last two editions. So we will be a team under a lot of pressure, but we remain focused on our objective. Before thinking about the round of 16 or the quarter-finals, we first have to manage the group stage well.

Do France and Spain have opposite styles?

Yes, maybe. They have been playing that way for years, with very high-level players. And we also have a very good team that uses the ball a lot. On top of that, all the players play for big clubs and take part in major competitions. I think they are two different styles. In Spain, possession is innate. But I think it will be very interesting. This World Cup will not be easy for either the French or the Spanish.

Dembélé: “it is an exceptional individual trophy, but that will come later.”

Does the defeat in the final in Qatar still weigh on you?

No, of course, we were disappointed, but that was four years ago. A lot of things have changed within the French national team. And I think a little within the Argentina team as well. We are fully aware of that. But it motivates us to do better at this World Cup.

Is the Ballon d’Or also at stake in this World Cup? Do you feel you first achieved your objective with the Champions League?

Yes, clearly, that matters too. As I have said several times, it is an exceptional individual trophy, but that will come later. The main objective was of course to win the Champions League with PSG and to win another World Cup with the French national team. That is exceptional. So before thinking about all that, we have to stay very focused.

Dembélé: ”We’ll have to be careful with him, because he is capable of winning again.”

You know Messi well, do you think he is capable of repeating that feat? Of winning a World Cup…

Of course, he can win every possible trophy. I already saw it at Barcelona.

But he is four years older now…

That changes nothing… He is the best I have ever seen, the best player football has ever known. He is still very dangerous. Hard to stop, even at 38. He may be that age, but he will always have those qualities. We’ll have to be careful with him, because he is capable of winning again.

Dembélé: “He is a leader, the captain of our team, and a very important player.”

Have you spoken with Kylian? How do you see him after this season?

They have been very unfair to him. They exaggerate a little in their criticism of Kylian, because he is an incredible player. A wonderful person off the pitch too, because I have known him for a long time. Sometimes they go too far in their criticism, just because it is Kylian Mbappé.

People should not be so hard on him. Whether he ties his laces or not, whether he pulls up his socks or not… It’s exaggerated. Because he is still a human being and a player of exceptional quality. In any case, here with the French national team, he gets along very well with us. He is a leader, the captain of our team, and a very important player.

Dembélé: “it was the right time to leave the club.”

And how do you see Barcelona? Do you now think you made the best decision…

Yes, I do. Looking back, I believe it was the right time to leave the club. Even though I was very attached to Barça, which I have supported since childhood. But for me, it was important to sign for Paris Saint-Germain.

I spoke with Luis Enrique, who had wanted me for a long time and whom I know well. And of course, with the president and the sporting director. And it was an excellent decision when you see what has happened at Paris Saint-Germain over the last three years, and I’m delighted about it.

When you signed for Paris Saint-Germain, do you remember Luis Enrique’s call?

Yes, I remember it very well. I was on tour in Los Angeles with Barcelona when Luis Enrique called me. He explained his plans, his vision of my role in his team, and how he saw our future together at Paris Saint-Germain. His words convinced me immediately.

Dembélé: “Since my arrival at PSG, they have optimized everything”

As soon as he arrived in Paris, clear progress was noticeable. After difficult moments in Barcelona, what really changed? Is it a question of maturity or physical preparation?

A bit of both. That said, I was already feeling much better in my last few years at Barcelona. In 2021-2022, I was 24 or 25, and things had improved considerably. My beginnings in Spain were very difficult because of injuries, but in Paris, I built on the momentum of my last two seasons at Barcelona.

I gained experience and learned to know my body better, which helped me enormously. On top of that, I’m lucky to have Luis Enrique and his staff, who manage me perfectly. Since my arrival at PSG, they have optimized everything: my diet, my playing time… All of that has allowed me to get back to my best level.

Dembélé: “he will forever remain a legend among French coaches.”

Are you looking forward to saying goodbye to Didier Deschamps at the World Cup? And what do you think about Zidane potentially coming in?

Didier Deschamps has brought so much to the French national team over the years. He has played a crucial role for all of us. On a personal level, he shaped my career, being the only national team coach I have ever known. He has always given us valuable advice and has always been there to congratulate and encourage us. He is simply an exceptional coach.

His international record with Les Bleus is remarkable: a World Cup, a Nations League, and several finals. Despite a few setbacks, he will forever remain a legend among French coaches. We are delighted to have him with us and hope to end this journey in style. He and his staff share the same ambition: to go all the way in the competition. But we will have to stay very focused, because nothing will be easy.

And Zidane?

As for Zidane, I faced him when he was coaching Real Madrid and I was at Barcelona. He is the greatest, a true icon of French football. An exceptional coach who won three consecutive Champions Leagues with Real Madrid. We hope to welcome him one day to the French national team bench. I am convinced he would do a wonderful job, because he is a born winner.

Dembélé: “Yes, it’s the pinnacle.”

Winning a second World Cup, is that the ultimate dream?

Yes, it’s the pinnacle. For a top-level professional footballer, winning the World Cup with your country is the greatest trophy imaginable. Being able to lift that trophy again is, of course, a dream. But, as I said, we will have to stay focused, because the competition is fierce.

Do you consider Spain the big favorite?

Spain, having just won the European Championship, is certainly among the favorites. But there is also Argentina, the reigning world champion, Germany, Portugal, and England. They are all great teams. That said, we will also have to be wary of the less favored teams.

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