Dembélé scores against Manchester City, then answers critics with humour

Ousmane Dembélé scored in Paris Saint-Germain’s 4-2 victory over Manchester City in the Champions League. After the match, the forward spoke on Canal+, days after uneven performances for France in the European Nations League.

Dembélé began the interview seriously but reacted sharply when asked about the criticism he had faced during his time with the national team. He then brushed off the doubts surrounding the side: « Cela ne nous importe absolument pas que les gens aient douté de nous; nous sommes en octobre, et nous devons être performants pendant la première partie de la saison et nous préparer pour la deuxième partie ».

He also joked about whether he had wanted to answer his critics: « Ai-je eu envie de remettre les choses au clair? Non, pas du tout. Il y a eu une trêve internationale, puis je suis parti en vacances (il rit)… En fait, je demanderai peut-être davantage (une autre période de vacances) ».

Speaking about the match, Dembélé praised his team’s quality and the space it found against Manchester City. He felt Paris Saint-Germain had been particularly effective in the box in the first half, before easing off after the break: « quand on se relâche, on le paie ».

Samir Nasri had congratulated him. Dembélé replied with a touch of irony, recalling that he had been criticised for a long time: « Ils me critiquent depuis dix ans, et cela ne changera pas, n’est-ce pas? Merci à toi, Samir, nous comprenons ce que tu ressens ».

The forward also made clear how much he enjoys European nights: « J’aime vraiment jouer les mardis et les mercredis… surtout quand je reviens de vacances ». Laughing, he then raised the possibility of extending his holiday, even until March, before saying that the decision belonged to the coach. The joke came as he had started only three of the club’s six Ligue matches this season.

Dembélé also got the identity of Paris Saint-Germain’s next opponent wrong: the club is due to face Strasbourg next Saturday in Ligue. The mistake added another unusual moment to the televised interview.