France head coach Zinédine Zidane held a press conference this Monday evening following the 4-1 Nations League victory over Belgium. He was notably asked to comment on the performance of Ousmane Dembélé, the 29-year-old Paris Saint-Germain forward who faced general criticism after the match.
Zidane: “I’m happy.”
“I thought Ousmane was very good, especially at the start of the match and even at the beginning of the second half,” the Les Bleus coach stated firmly during the press conference. “He was very dynamic on the flank. There are no issues there. We’re used to seeing him play all over the place, and he’s good in every position. I’m satisfied with what he did; he’s our captain and set an exemplary example for all his teammates. I’m happy,” said Zidane, as reported by RMC Sport.
Of course, the coach is somewhat shielding his player from the media and may be more demanding behind the scenes. Dembélé is capable of better—we’ve seen it before. Yet, one can also detect sincerity in Zidane’s words, as the Parisian forward didn’t have a complete disaster of a game. It’s simply that expectations are now massive for every match, and he is quick to be labeled as out of form.
Especially since his defensive efforts and the importance of his movement often go overlooked in observers’ match analyses. If he lacks moments of magic or decisive plays, he’s deemed “not good.” That lack of nuance is always frustrating—even if we always hope to see the Parisian number 10 produce a bit more than he did yesterday. Still, we shouldn’t forget that he came very close to providing an assist for Esteban Lepaul.
