Ousmane Dembélé, 28-year-old Paris Saint-Germain striker, paused in the mixed zone after the 2-7 victory against Bayer Leverkusen this Tuesday at the BayArena as part of Matchday 3 of the 2025-2026 Champions League. He discussed his determination, his return from injury, this somewhat crazy match, Vitinha (25-year-old midfielder), Kylian Mbappé (26-year-old Real Madrid striker), and his goals.
Dembélé: “As long as I’m hungry, I’ll be here at PSG.”
100th match for PSG?
I want more, even more matches with PSG. As many as possible. As long as I’m hungry, I’ll be here at PSG. I’m happy to celebrate my 100th match with the club, especially in the Champions League. I hope to continue this momentum.
Dembélé: “I also took my time.”
How did you handle this return?
Very well. Of course, when you’re injured, you want to get back on the pitch quickly. But I also took my time to come back from this injury and be 100%, even if I’m not 100% yet. I hope to come back very well.
A bit of a crazy match? How can we stay calm as a team?
I think we started the match well, with the 0-1 draw, and then it got a bit crazy. Especially after the two red cards. With 10 against 10, there’s a lot of space. That’s what we like at PSG. We knew how to capitalize on that, especially in the first half with Désiré Doué’s brace, which did us good. We just had to roll on in the second half.
Dembélé: “He’s still our maestro.” »
A word on Vitinha’s performance?
He’s still our maestro. He’s a very, very important player for us. He’s continuing his momentum from last season, and we hope he continues like that.
Mbappé Ballon d’Or?
Yes, I hope so. Because he deserves it, considering his career and the start of the season. He’s been scoring nothing but goals. He’s a friend of mine, I hope he continues like that, and I hope one day he wins it.
Does the Ballon d’Or change anything for you?
Not really. It’s always the same. Whether it’s the staff or the players, nothing changes.
Dembélé: “We’ll try to continue like this.”
A top 8 in the league phase, a clear objective?
Yes, definitely. Since the start of the season, we’ve wanted to be in the top 8, as high as possible. Last season was difficult, but we’re off to a great start. We’ll try to keep it that way.
How does Luis Enrique keep the team motivated?
If you’re not at 100%, if you don’t put in the effort, you don’t play. So, you have to give your all, and that’s the right formula to stay competitive.
