Ousmane Dembélé, the Paris Saint-Germain player, spoke very rationally after his team defeated Barcelona 4-1 and qualified for the semi-finals of the Champions League, confirming that he understood the anger of the Blaugrana fans towards him.
Dembele has been subjected to a barrage of offensive chants since his arrival in Catalonia, in response to his exaggerated celebration of his goal in the first leg without respecting the 5 years he spent in a Barcelona shirt.
The French international excelled in the return match by scoring a goal and winning a penalty kick that Kylian Mbappe converted into Ter Stegen’s net.
After the match, Dembele responded to the press’s question about his reaction to the abuse he was subjected to by saying, “Barcelona is great. I love it, and booing is normal in all football stadiums.”
He also added, “There is always motivation, especially when you play in the quarter-finals. It is there whether we are facing Barcelona or others.”
He concluded, “It is true that I was personally motivated twice to face Barcelona, but I focused on the match in general more.”
It is worth noting that Dembele won the “Man of the Match” award from UEFA for his strenuous efforts in ensuring that Luis Enrique’s squad qualified for the semi-finals.
