Ousmane Dembélé (26) will return to FC Barcelona for the very first time because signing for Paris Saint-Germain in August of final year.
In 6 seasons and 185 games for the Blaugrana, the Frenchman scored 40 aims and presented 43 helps, but it is fair to say that his tenure in Spain’s 2nd metropolis was marked by one particular constant: Inconsistency.
As with so many gamers in environment soccer, the consensus is that Dembélé’s rate tag (105M€ moreover 40M€ in bonuses) to indicator him from Borussia Dortmund weighed heavily on the gamers shoulders, burdened with the inflated anticipations that invariably appear with such a deal.
Of system, the participant’s at occasions unprofessional lifestyle didn’t support his induce, with frequent reviews in Spanish media telling of his punctuality difficulties in arriving to education thanks to keeping up late to engage in video video games. This, and regular accidents that may possibly or may possibly not have been connected to his conduct off the subject, noticed fans endurance dress in skinny.
Despite his erratic type and recurrent absences, Dembélé retained enormous support from Barcelona mentor Xavi Hernandez and savored some fruitful spells of variety. In 2021/2022, the Frenchman was the most effective passer in La Liga, with 13 assists in 21 appearances building the marketing campaign his ideal statistically.
Even though the participant-mentor partnership was excellent, the relationship concerning the ex-Stade Rennais guy’s associates and the Barcelona board was much less so, with then Director of Football Mateu Alemany asserting that Démbélé experienced to depart in January 2022 soon after refusing to indication a agreement extension. At the time once more, it was down to Xavi to serene items down, mediating in between the two get-togethers to appear to an agreement of a two calendar year extension with a 50M€ release clause inserted.
And so we arrive to Tuesday night time. Spanish media has by now ramped up the anti-Dembélé rhetoric forward of the match, with Catalan newspaper Sport declaring the Frenchman “Undeserving of a demonstration of estimation from the Barca supporters. For becoming ungrateful, to Xavi and to the club. He decided to betray his strongest supporter, who convinced the sporting department to renew his contract although the player experienced zero presents in other places”.
All of this, as very well as the Frenchman leaving in the center of the club’s pre year tour past summer time having previously built noises about required to even more lengthen his agreement, adds even much more spice and intrigue to a contest that, on and off the field, scarcely demands even further hoopla. Acquiring celebrated his target in past 7 days’s first leg, Dembélé would be sensible to be expecting a glacial reception at Montjuic.
GFFN | Jack McArdle