Ousmane Dembélé: "The best season of my career"

Ousmane, after a three-week absence, you made your return to the pitch recently. How are you feeling?

"Very good! I had a minor injury with the French team during the Nations League. After tests, I was told it wasn't very serious. So I took my time before returning to action. I could have come back a bit sooner, but I really wanted to get back to full fitness and today I'm feeling really good."

You've had a historic season with Paris Saint-Germain. When you signed for the club in August 2023, did you think you'd experience moments like these?

"Yes, that's what I wanted. I signed for Paris Saint-Germain to experience moments like these. This year has been exceptional, collectively and personally. It's been amazing, but we want more. When you've had a taste of it... you always want more!"

Decisive 46 times (33 goals and 13 assists) in 49 official matches, involved in 14 goals (8 goals and 6 assists) in the UEFA Champions League in 15 appearances, top scorer and best player in Ligue 1, best player in the UEFA Champions League... You were a key player this season!

"It's great, they are great numbers, my best in the Champions League. Especially to be voted best player in the competition, that's something special. I was very happy because when you see all the players who play in this competition... The greats are there! When you are told that you were the best player, it's incredible! I wanted to have a great season, score a lot of goals and be decisive, and I did. The coach repositioned me as a number 9, and that helped me a lot. My team-mates also helped me. But I think it's my mentality (confidence, my state of mind) that has changed since the start of the season, especially in front of goal."

The way you initiated the team's pressing and your ability to defend also stood out... Have you worked a lot in these areas?

"Yes, especially the positioning, but also the intensity of the runs you have to make to trouble the defence, whether it's the defenders or the goalkeeper. Don't give him time to play it out, because if he has time to do it, pressing is useless. He can find a player in a very good position, so I do everything I can to make sure he doesn't have a second to think and play it out perfectly. As soon as he has the ball, if I'm around, he has to act very, very quickly, otherwise I'd be there! I also enjoy pressing. It's funny because every time the keeper clears the ball, I shout at him, I say: "Oh, you're lucky! " I really enjoy it."

Luis Enrique has given you a lot of responsibility...

"When I signed for Paris Saint-Germain, he put his trust in me. He gives me a lot of advice on the pitch and also gives me a lot of freedom, because he often says to me: ‘I'm going to ask you to do 2 or 3 things, but you have the ability to solve them on your own’. I also like the fact that I'm in a role where I'm free on the pitch. I like that. I can go to the right, to the left... You can change... I thrive in this position where I have a lot of freedom."

How did you take on this leadership role?

"In the most normal way, I stay myself. I also spoke to the coach at the start of the season. He told me to set an example for the younger players as well as the older ones. That translates onto the pitch, with the pressing, with the effort, whether in defence or attack. After that, in the life of the group, I stay myself. I can't change that! I have a lot of fun with my team-mates. But then when you have to be serious, you have to be serious."

Can you tell us about the bond that unites you?

"It's like a family. We spend more time with this team than we do with our own family! There's a bond that develops. We've been working together for two years now. It's good for the team, it builds confidence. It's given us these results in this second season. It's been exceptional. We all try to give each other advice, to pull each other up, to make the effort for others. It's important and it pays off. We're a family. Whether we win or lose, we have to stick together. The coach keeps telling us that we're a team and that we have to play together, run, attack and defend together."

BLAISE MATUIDI'S QUESTION

Do you think you're having the best season of your career?

"Yes, statistically, it's the best, and in fact it's been the best in just about every other aspect. Whether in Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, the Champions League... I was very good in all three competitions. It's the best season of my career. There have been seasons after that when I've enjoyed myself enormously, whether at Dortmund or Barcelona in 2020-2021. But this is the greatest of my career, with the Champions League especially and all the titles we've won. Winning the Champions League is hard. We talk about it all the time, at club and international level... Winning it is difficult. And when you have a season like that and win the biggest trophy, it's just amazing."

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JAVIER PASTORE'S QUESTION

You are currently in Atlanta for the Club World Cup. What do you think of the new format?

"There have been some very good matches and a lot of surprises too. We paid the price against Botafogo. If you don't play at 100%, if you don't run, you lose the match. They surprised us. There were other surprises, like Al-Hilal against Manchester City. There's also Fluminense. Brazilian clubs are not easy to play against! The Brazilians, the Argentinians... they're really not easy to play against. And I think there will be even more surprises."

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