Ousmane Dembélé, the 28-year-old forward for Paris Saint-Germain and the French national team, had an exceptional season, both individually and as part of the team. This performance could lead to team trophies, as well as the 2025 Ballon d’Or. A key factor in this success was his role as a central attacking player in almost every match, a position somewhat different from his usual role as a winger. In an interview with L’Équipe, the PSG number 10 explained his role.
Dembélé: “Luis Enrique gives me a lot of freedom.”
“Do you approach your game differently in this more central position?”
“Of course. It’s not the same position at all, between a winger staying close to the touchline and a free role, what we call a false 9, but it’s a free role. Luis Enrique gives me a lot of freedom. I need that. I started playing like that at Rennes. Rolland Courbis gave me a lot of freedom, told me to move around everywhere. I really like this position. Of course, I can play as a winger, but in that position, I’ll try more to create chaos in the defense, to make key passes… even though I’m also expected to score. It’s not the same thing.”
“So, what have you changed in your movement, in anticipating the movements of your teammates and opponents?”
“As a free role, a false 9, you’re much more in the penalty area, with less running to do than on the wing. The wingers, fullbacks, and midfielders are looking for you more in the penalty area. You’re the striker, you have to score goals. This season, my teammates have been looking for me a lot. I’m much more alert than before when they have the ball. For me, it’s all about positioning, between the lines, in the penalty area. As a striker, if you manage to position yourself well, you’ll score fifteen goals, easily.”
Dembélé: “Moving into open spaces.” “What work have you done to adapt to this new position?
It’s with my teammates, and the coach also gives me some advice. I try to find space, behind the defender, to get free. It’s a position I know well, one I really enjoy; it’s very tactical. I prefer being a free-roaming attacker rather than playing on the wing, although that doesn’t stop me from playing there sometimes. We switch positions a lot. Our attackers are practically all wingers by nature.”
The key word is clear: freedom. This can be very appealing for a forward, but it also requires a good understanding of the game and the ability to adapt to different situations. It’s up to Dembélé to know where to go, how to ask for the ball, and how to use it effectively. This also involves his relationship with his teammates and the advice from coach Luis Enrique.
The potential 2025 Ballon d’Or winner emphasizes that there is a lot of positional rotation in Paris. When done well, it’s effective, as it’s difficult for defenses to track. But it requires a lot of work to avoid overlapping and maintain good coordination. Of course, Dembélé’s talent adds to this tactical approach.
We can see that his finishing has improved, especially with less effort required to reach the goal. This is undoubtedly due to increased confidence. The fact that he is comfortable using both feet and can dribble makes him even more unpredictable. And it’s clear today that he prefers this role to that of a winger. Is this something that the French national team should consider?
