Paris Saint-Germain striker Ousmane Dembélé, 28, spoke to L’Équipe after victory in the Champions League final. He highlighted the strength of the Parisian team, illustrated by the strong gesture of 26-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, and the commitment of everyone, from forwards to defenders (Comments transcribed by us).
Dembélé “We were motivated, but even more so after that”.
Before the match, on the bus, Gigio Donnarumma handed out letters to all the players, all the staff or he made a little note of support for everything we’ve done this season, it’s exceptional. What’s more, he wrote in French.
We were motivated, but even more so after that. That collective spirit is what makes us stronger. We only think of the collective before we think of ourselves. That’s how PSG became European champions. Everyone defended, everyone attacked.
Dembélé “He defends, he attacks, he makes a huge effort”.
When you see Achraf Hakimi, he scored in the quarter-finals, the semi-finals, he scored in the Champions League final even though he’s a defender. He defends, he attacks, he makes a huge effort. And that’s what I do, and the coach and I talked about it at the start of the season. He told me that I had to take charge of the team, that I had to set an example for the younger players. “You’re the team’s first defender.” And there you have it, the message got through.
« Avant le match, dans le bus, Donnarumma a remis des lettres à tous les joueurs, tout le staff. Où il a fait un petit mot de soutien. Et c’était quelque chose de fort, il l’a écrit en français, en portugais, en anglais pour le monde. »pic.twitter.com/ypRlx0J1zY
— ParisSG INFOS (@Paris_sginfos) June 8, 2025
