Dembélé: "At Barça I suffered a lot, I went through very difficult moments"

Ousmane Dembélé left Barça this summer after a period full of ups and downs, where he never showed his full potential despite the money the club paid for him (135 million euros).

Oliver Thansan
Oliver Thansan
13 February 2024 Tuesday 15:28
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Dembélé: "At Barça I suffered a lot, I went through very difficult moments"

Ousmane Dembélé left Barça this summer after a period full of ups and downs, where he never showed his full potential despite the money the club paid for him (135 million euros). The French player, who is currently indisputable at Luis Enrique's PSG, has opened up about his time at the Blaugrana team, stating: "I suffered a lot during my first years at Barcelona, ​​because I went through difficult times." In an interview with Le Parisien, the Vernon winger also spoke about his relationship with Xavi Hernández, who trusted Dembélé since his arrival.

One of the most loved and at the same time hated players by the Blaugrana parish in recent years is Ousmane Dembélé. The winger was capable of playing a game on his own, but then being away from the playing fields for a couple of months. After his turbulent departure from Barcelona, ​​especially for Xavi, who ended up disappointed with the Frenchman's decision, the winger has taken stock of his time in Catalan lands.

Dembélé has declared that the Blaugrana team is "the place where I have learned the most, but the first years were very hard because I arrived too young." Despite his stormy first months at Barça, the Frenchman commented that "as the years went by I felt better, partly because it is the logical evolution of a young professional player, but also because I hired a physical trainer who "It changed a lot of things in my life."

Dembélé has also analyzed his relationship with Xavi Hernández, the coach who gave him the most confidence during his time at Barça. "I lived incredible moments with Xavi. We were very close. He gave me a lot of advice and trusted me a lot," he commented.

Likewise, the PSG player is "very happy" to work with Luis Enrique, because "he is close to his players, gives a lot of advice and often goes into details to improve." Furthermore, Dembélé has commented that he "has known the Asturian coach for a long time" since he "wanted him to come to Barça when he was at Rennes."

The one from Vernon, although "he suffered a lot at Barcelona", has declared himself a follower of the Catalan team: "Messi has always been my favorite player. He, Guardiola and Iniesta made me love Barça, that's why I have always dreamed of playing there" . However, he does not see "big changes between Barça and PSG, since both are great clubs with fans that carry you along."