Ousmane Dembélé, the 28-year-old striker for Paris Saint-Germain and the French national team, answered several questions from UEFA ahead of Wednesday’s UEFA Super Cup against Tottenham (kickoff at 9 p.m., CET). He spoke about coach Luis Enrique, his philosophy, and his decision to play Dembélé in the center.
Dembélé: “We have to keep playing our game, attacking together as a team of 11 and defending together.”
“He’s a coach who loves football and loves what he does. I’ve changed position, but it’s a position I was familiar with, especially at the start of my career and also when I was younger. I have the ability to adapt very quickly to different positions. Having this slightly free position on the field is a position I really like, and I try to help the team as best I can.”.
As he told us, since he arrived at the club, whether the score is 1-0, 2-0, or 3-0, we have to stick to our game plan, attack together as a team of eleven, and defend together. We saw that in this final; we did it from start to finish. It was exceptional.”
Often criticized, particularly for experimenting too much with his team and holding back his attacking players, Luis Enrique has above all found a very good formula for getting his team to play and allowing individual players to express themselves. In fact, many now find it hard to imagine Dembélé playing anywhere other than in the center for PSG.
The latter obviously deserves credit for his excellent 2024-2025 season. But he also knows that the coach helped him take his consistency to the next level. This was also achieved by placing him in a very strong team, which always makes things easier for a player. This PSG team stood out for the quality of its play, its composure, and its desire to always perform well.
The following season is never easy, as you have to deal with new emotions, perhaps a sense of decompression, as well as the expectations of your opponents. It’s a big challenge, and we hope that coach Luis Enrique will once again find the right formula. Even if that means going through a few games where the “experts” claim he’s choosing at random.
