Ousmane Dembele’s UCL victory with European rivals Paris Saint-Germain has reopened Barcelona’s wounds. The once-deemed Neymar’s successor has ended his season at peak and also made some “Catalan-context” comments. His emotional ‘Barcelona is my dream club’ comments clash with his past actions. Like celebrating against Barca, a messy exit, and unfulfilled potential. Was Dembele misunderstood, mismanaged, or did he just betray the club that waited years for his best?
Why Ousmane Dembélé Left Barça?
Ousmane Dembele never truly settled at the Camp Nou. So many injuries, inconsistency, and off-field drama overshadowed his brief flashes of brilliance. Xavi’s arrival in 2021 revived him to an extent. He was finally a lot fitter and became an essential player on the side. He was a key player in Xavi’s 2022/23 La Liga triumph.
But Barca’s financial chaos and lack of sporting direction made PSG’s project more appealing to Dembele. The player was also attracted to move to his home country’s best team. And finally, after €105M and six injury-riddled seasons, we barely saw his prime. He left just as he was near his peak, and now PSG reaped the rewards. A tragic waste for a player who could have been a legend.
Dembele’s Goal Celebration Against Barca
Dembele has made some positive comments about his former club after the UCL win. He also seemed to miss some of his ex-teammates after his Instagram profile picture went viral in March. Last night, after winning the Champions League last night, the PSG no. 10 said:
“I joined Barça at 20. Barça was my dream club. I will never insult or offend Barça, no matter what. It’s my dream club.”
This ‘dream club’ claim has been sending off vibes of hypocrisy to me and most Barca fans. This claim rings hollow if we recall his fiery celebration after scoring against Barcelona in the 2024 UCL quarterfinals.
On the contrary, his fellow teammate Achraf Hakimi refused to celebrate against Madrid. Dembele’s actions that night exposed his true feelings. They felt more like a revenge than a gesture of respect or love for his ‘dream club’. Fans are not fools. You don’t just grin like you’ve won the World Cup against your ‘dream team’ and then make comments like these.
Barça’s Mistreatment vs. Dembele’s Mistakes: Who Owes Whom?
I will also not state that Barcelona is entirely innocent in the Dembele matter. The club leaked against him, fans booed his injuries, and the ‘Club de Amigos’ locker room also did not help. And Dembele was also not a victim at the time he left.
Xavi was his biggest supporter and defender. Still, the Frenchman consistently arrived late to the pitch, and that €25M exit clause (where he took half the fee) also showed a lack of professionalism. Xavi fought for him till the end, yet he left at the first better offer. I think both sides failed, but only Barca paid the price.
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