Ex-FC Barcelona Ace Dembele Makes Ballon d'Or, Lamine, Messi Admission

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a day ago

Ex-FC Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele spoke to France Football and made confessions about its Ballon d'Or award, Lamine Yamal, and Lionel Messi.
Dembele is one of the favourites to be handed the highest individual honor in soccer after being a protagonist in a treble scoop for PSG that also took in its first Champions League crown.
Asked if he sees himself as a frontrunner, Dembele stated: 'It's difficult to say. But winning a Ballon d'Or when you're a footballer is obviously the holy grail on an individual level. It's something you dream of as a child. I remember when I saw the players appear in Telefoot to receive him. It was incredible. Only the object, the ball, is exceptional.'
Dembele added that he hopes to be 'among the thirty nominees, to begin with'.
'I've had difficult years with injuries, weak performances as well. This season I think I've been consistent, so we'll see what happens. It would be exceptional to have my name on the list. And to be one of the favourites is already a great victory, although I hope to win it one day,' he said.
'Personally, I always play the same football. Since I was little, I want to give joy to the people who come to the stadium. I like to dribble, but I'm also someone who helps the team a lot, who wants to score goals and assist. Then, everyone thinks what they want and votes what they want. If you like Ousmane Dembele, great; if not, life goes on. We'll see.'
One of Dembele's main rivals for the Ballon d'Or is his former Barca teammate Lamine Yamal, who he recalled 'was already talked about from a very young age' in Catalonia.
'When he arrived at the professional team, we understood that he was exceptional and took on another dimension. In training, he dribbled, assisted, scored.'
Dembele confessed that he is now 'a little more professional' than when he donned Blaugrana.
'I was already a professional, but now I am a little more so. Now, even on rest days, I like to go to the training center, recover, work with the physios. Before, I would go home, play NBA 2K, watch a little TV. I was also younger, it's normal. But, in the end, you pay dearly, and I saw it especially in Barcelona,' he confessed.
'I arrived there young, I played from 20 to 26 years old, I had a lot of physical problems. I learned a lot, it helped me. Now I know my body much better, and that's why I get injured less. I know when I'm good, but also when I need to slow down, dose in training.'
As for the greatest player of all time, Dembele has no doubts as to who it is in his eyes. 'I grew up watching FC Barcelona, so naturally [it's]