The Ballon d’Or ceremony is approaching, and two Paris Saint-Germain players are among the favorites: Ousmane Dembélé, the 29-year-old forward and reigning champion, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the 25-year-old forward. In an interview with Ligue1+, the two Parisian forwards discussed the award as well as their chemistry both on and off the pitch.
Dembélé: “I hope it’s him or me.”
The Ballon d’Or is a month away, and the outcome is wide open. Ousmane, as the reigning champion, who will you be voting for?
Dembélé: “As I said, I hope a Parisian wins the Ballon d’Or. Kvara had an incredible season; he was decisive in all the big matches. He had a massive season. I hope it’s him or me.”
And you, Kvara, who will you vote for in this year’s edition?
Kvaratskhelia: “I think I’ll vote for Ousmane. The way he plays, the way he leads the team, and the way he helps the team is very important to us.”
Ousmane, if you had to pick one quality from Kvara’s game, what would it be?
Dembélé: “That’s tough, because he has so many qualities. But, as I said, I think it’s his shooting. He scored some beautiful goals last season. The match against Bayern Munich was the biggest of the season; he scored the opening goal that got us back into the game. His performance over those two legs was incredible.”
Kvaratskhelia: “When he accelerates, it’s impossible to stop him.”
What makes playing with Kvaratskhelia so easy?
Dembélé: “We get along very well off the pitch. On the pitch, it’s easy with a player of his quality—we saw that when he was playing for Napoli.” “I actually saw him before that because I used to play Football Manager. He’s an incredible player. He’s been here for a year and a half, and our chemistry is natural.”
Khvicha, what quality of Ousmane Dembélé’s would you want to have?
Kvaratskhelia: “He has so many qualities. But perhaps the way he plays with both feet and the way he accelerates with the ball. When he accelerates, it’s impossible to stop him.”
And if you had to name a moment from last season when Ousmane impressed you?
Kvaratskhelia: “For me, the most important moment was the penalty against Arsenal. The confidence he had at that moment—during a Champions League final—he took the ball and scored without any fear. But there’s also his goal against Marseille at the Parc des Princes. I was on the bench and just went, ‘Wow.'”
Dembélé: “For me, he’s the best player in the world.”
If he wins the Ballon d’Or, what will you say to him?
Kvaratskhelia: “The same thing I said last time. I told him, ‘Do you know why I came to PSG? Because here, you can win the Ballon d’Or and the Champions League.'”
And you, Ousmane, what would you say to him?
Dembélé: “I’d be very happy because he deserves it. He had an exceptional season. For me, he’s the best player in the world. When you look at the whole season, you know he’s the best. We saw everything he did in the Champions League—in the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final.”
Ousmane, you know that only one Frenchman has won it more than once—Michel Platini. If you were to win it, you’d move ahead of most French legends?
Dembélé: “That would be incredible, yes, but as I said, I’m staying focused and calm. There’s no need to talk.”
