“I suffered a lot at Barcelona. “Javi and I were very close.”
Surely we are talking about the most sincere Ousmane Dembele. The French footballer made a full confession in an interview with Le Parisien, in particular about his time at Barça.
His time at Barça
Dembele spoke for the first time about the difficulties he faced in the Barça team: “I arrived at Barcelona when I was 20, after just a year and a half of professional football. I was still learning. Barcelona is the place where I have learned the most and where I have grown the most in my personal and professional life.“.
“It is true that I suffered a lot there. I’ve been through some very difficult times, I admit it. And then, little by little, over the years, everything gets better… This is the logical evolution of a young professional player who has changed a lot over the years,” he admits.
The winger also spoke about the changes he experienced during his time at Barça: “At the end of my second year, I hired a physical education coach. His arrival changed a lot on the field and in my life.. We work during training and on my days off. This helped me a lot. In fact, he is still with me here in Paris. We do a lot of prevention, work out in the gym…”
Change Barça to PSG
Dembele explained that he hardly noticed any difference in changing the club: “Barcelona is a very big club, we know that. But PSG is also a great club.And I see it both on and off the field. When you go into the city, people immediately recognize you… To be honest, apart from the weather, there weren’t much changes for me (laughs).”
“The same goes for the stadium: The Camp Nou is huge and full of history.. But at the Parc des Princes the atmosphere is exceptional, and in every game the fans accompany us…” explains the PSG player.
Relationships with Xavi and Luis Enrique
Dembélé also spoke about his last two coaches: “The nature of my relationship with Luis Enrique is more or less the same as with Xavi.. I lived incredible moments with Javi. We were very united. He gave me a lot of advice and trusted me a lot. I have known Luis Enrique for a long time because I already wanted him to go to Barcelona when he was at Rennes. “I’m very glad he became a coach.”
In love with Barça
Despite admitting his struggles at Barça, the striker also confesses his love for the club: “My first shirt was an England shirt with David Beckham on it. Then I fell in love with Steven Gerrard, and then I met Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Barcelona… Messi has always been my favorite player. It was him, Guardiola and Iniesta who made me fall in love with Barça. That’s why I always dreamed of playing there. When I signed with Barça, I realized my dream. “Playing with Iniesta in his last year and Lionel Messi was incredible.”