Dembélé opens up: his future, Champions League final, PSG role | OneFootball

Ousmane Dembélé, the 29-year-old Paris Saint-Germain forward, appeared this Monday on Rothen S’enflamme on RMC. He spoke about several topics, including his ambitions, the Champions League final against Arsenal, his role within the Parisian team, and his future.

Dembélé: “With every touch, in every match, I try to give the very best of myself”

You still have a chance to win the Ballon d’Or — is that still a top priority for you?

When you win it once, you want to win it several times. But I always put the team first, obviously. The most important thing is to win the Champions League. And I’ve had this goal in mind for a long time with the France national team: to have a very, very great World Cup.

With every touch, in every match, I try to give the very best of myself, to make the most of every ball I get, to lead by example. That’s what the coach and I talk about. Especially over the last two years, it’s worked well for me. The coach spoke to me and told me I have an important role in the team, that I have to lead by example. Whether for the more experienced players or the younger ones.

And I want to keep performing, whether in smaller matches or in the really big ones. I’m hungry to score goals too, to provide assists, and to win trophies.

You went off injured against Paris FC — how are you feeling about the Champions League final in nine days?

“It’ll be fine, I have no doubt. I had a small warning sign against Paris FC, but it’ll be fine, so I have no doubt about that. I’ve had so many small warnings or serious injuries in my career, especially with the final coming up, that I preferred to stop and not take any risks.”

Dembélé: “We’re aware of that, and we hope to win this trophy once again”

Will this be PSG’s biggest match?

“One of the biggest matches, yes. But of course, if you want to become a great champion, you have to win several times, not just once. It’s going to be an incredible occasion as well — we’ll have all our supporters behind us, the whole city of Paris, even all of France behind us. We’re aware of that, and we hope to win this trophy once again. Especially since going back-to-back in the Champions League is rare, and we know that. So we’re going to do everything we can. Luis Enrique says it’s even greater to do it a second year in a row? Yes, that’s right. And he’s right, because the first time you win, it’s exceptional. But winning a second Champions League, and doing it consecutively on top of that, is even bigger, I think.”

Has PSG now become the team everyone wants to beat?

“Yes, clearly. When you win six titles out of seven, you’re the team to beat — everyone wants to beat the European champion. Whether in the Champions League or in Ligue 1, people want to beat us, and we’re aware of that. I think we handled the big matches very well, whether in the Champions League or in Ligue 1, against opponents who wanted to beat us. And I don’t think we changed our style of play. No matter what, we wanted to press, attack, whether against smaller teams or bigger ones. We just had to stay focused and play as a team. I don’t think there’s any better way to win a match.”

Dembélé: “I think Arsenal deserved to win the Premier League”

Do you think PSG are the favorites against Arsenal?

“It’s hard to say. When you reach a final, anything can happen. I think Arsenal deserved to win the Premier League — they’ve been close for the last 3-4 years. They work hard, they’ve had the same group for 4-5 years, so it was obvious the title would come. It’s a big team, defensively they’re very good, offensively too. And they’re even stronger from set pieces. It’s a team that has to be taken seriously. We played them last season, we lost in the group stage, then we knocked them out in the semi-final. But in a final, anything can happen. You have to stay focused.”

Does this false number 9 role suit you?

“Yes, you know how it goes. When you play out wide or through the middle, you don’t make the same runs. You’re closer to goal, you can score difficult goals or even easier ones where you just have to tap the ball in. And that changes everything. That position is perfect for me, I really like playing there. And I hope I can keep playing there with Luis Enrique as well as with coach Deschamps. But I also don’t mind moving out wide sometimes, whether with Luis Enrique or coach Deschamps. They give me a lot of freedom.”

Dembélé: “I’m happy at the club and I hope that continues for a long time.”

Are you ready to accept everything the coach asks of you in order to win?

“Of course! He has a vision, he watches the matches. I’m not a coach — he knows a bit more than I do — and we had to put in the work. On top of that, Bayern were an incredible team. So whether you’re a forward, defender, or midfielder, everyone had to put in the work at that moment. No matter what, if you don’t put in the work — I’ve said it before — you’ll be on the bench very quickly with this coach. And on top of that, I enjoy it, whether it’s attacking or defending. We saw it in that match in Munich where everyone attacked, everyone defended like dogs, as they say. It’s exceptional, and it’s a pleasure to put in the work for the team. And I think that to win trophies, there’s no better way than working as a team.”

How do you see your future? A few more years at PSG?

“Do I see myself at PSG for a few more years? Ah yes, first of all I still have two years left on my contract, until 2028. And things are going very well at the club, I feel very good with everyone, whether it’s the staff, the players, the president… Does that mean you want to extend your stay at PSG? We’ll see if PSG offers me a contract. But yes, of course, I’m happy at the club and I hope that continues for a long time. What percentage chance is there of seeing you at PSG next season already? Next season? 100%, I have two years left on my contract. Does that mean that no matter what happens, you’ll stay at PSG until 2028? Yes, yes…”

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