Team newspaper commented on Dembele s "transformation": He once lived under the shadow of Messi and was Mbappe s foil
Demberle won the 2025 Golden Globe Award, and the French media "February" published an article talking about the players' unexpected "transformation".
The full text is as follows:
This is a life story about a talented boy. He went to the Bundesliga to practice at the age of 19, realized his childhood dream in Barcelona, and finally became the best player in the world at the age of 28.
This is an unexpected transformation, originating from a profound personal transformation. Dembele has long been a cheerful and low-key partner, with excellent dribbling skills but poor shooting ability, which is both amazing and frustrating. He was once considered unable to fulfill his talent due to repeated injuries, and despite some amazing moments, vitreous physique and discipline issues made it difficult for him to remain stable and reliable.
It was not until the winter of 2025 that Dembele suddenly showed unprecedented qualities that people realized that he had completely changed. In just a few months, Dembele subverted the original order and reached the peak of world football, and this change has actually happened quietly.
From August to early December 2024, Dembele scored only 5 goals. However, in the subsequent games, Dembele swept past like a whirlwind. From the match against Lyon on December 15 to the match against Marseille on March 16, 2025, he scored 25 goals in various competitions, becoming a reliable core player in Paris, leading the team to steadily move towards its first Champions League championship.
With Mbappe's transfer to Real Madrid in the summer of 2024, Paris has become worried about the team's offensive line. Some insiders believe that no player can take on the role of offensive leader in personality and efficiency, so they consider introducing an experienced shooter, but head coach Enrique does not want a pure No. 9 player and prefers to trust existing players.
Therefore, since the beginning of the season, Paris President Nasser and sporting director Campos have started to work for Dembele. They hope that the players can work hard to improve their value. They believe that at the age of 27, he still has all the necessary qualities. Now, it is his turn to take the lead.
However, this is not easy for a player with a record of only 14 goals in a single season, and he has experienced some ups and downs during this period. Last fall, there was also a quarrel with Enrique and late for training, and the atmosphere was once tense. However, after a brief unhappiness, Dembele did not make the situation worse, but was determined to cheer up again. At the same time, due to the Champions League results and pressure from superiors, Enrique also adjusted his management style.
Paris gradually found the right offensive combination, and the team's season reversed, all of which was not particularly premeditated, nor was it out of some kind of "foresight" or tactical discussion between the two. Since the beginning of the season, Enrique has been looking for a suitable forward configuration. He has tried Asensio, Muani, Li Gangren, Duei, Gonzalo Ramos and even Neves, but the results are not ideal.
Demberle seized the opportunity and the increase in confidence allowed him to spread his wings and fly high. He has been living in the shadow of Messi at Barcelona, and is a foil for Mbappe in the French national team and Paris. Although this fits very well with his low-key personality, he has finally come to the center of the stage and finds the pleasure of taking responsibility, and he enjoys it. He knew his moment had arrived, and before that, he had excitedly told his friends: "I'm going to get everything done, this is my year."
A more mature, serious and focused Dembele was born, and the unpleasant experiences in Rennes, Dortmund and Barcelona will all be a thing of the past. In fact, after being sarcastic by Catalan media due to injuries, Dembele realized that he had to regain control of his career and physical condition. In the later years of Barcelona's career, Dembele formed a private team including nutritionists, physical therapists, physical coaches and video analysts, and devoted himself to training in a more rigorous way to ensure that life is no longer indulgent, thus embarking on a journey of transformation.
Now Dembele is more confident and happy than ever before, and he has become a role model player and a guide to the collective spirit. Even if you don’t score goals, you can play an influential and decisive role. He can play an important role in both in irrelevant games and in key games. For him, this Golden Globe Award is the ultimate recognition of a tortuous but ultimately destined to conquer everything. With his extraordinary talent, Dembele could have become a self-centered soloist, but he became a symbol of the spirit of collectivism in Paris, which is more in line with his true character.
source:cn7m