Dortmund-PSG: Dembélé, the ex that Borussia has not forgiven

“Love stories end badly… usually”, sang Rita Mitsouko. Those between Ousmane Dembélé and his exes do not escape this tacit rule. Two weeks after having “air-conditioned” Montjuïc (1-4), where he displayed his best smile in response to the whistles and jeers of Barça fans, bitter to have seen him leave the previous summer, the 2018 world champion has the right to new reunions which promise to be just as fresh.

This time, “Dembouz” should be taken aback by the supporters of Borussia Dortmund, who he faces with PSG, this Wednesday, May 1, at Signal Iduna Park, during the semi-finals first leg of the Champions League (at 9 p.m., live commentary on TF1info). The fault, again, is a hasty departure which they still have not digested, even seven years later.

By rewinding the film, we understand the reasons for this disenchantment. The kid from Vernon may have only had one season – but what a season are we talking about! -, in 2016-2017, in the Ruhr, a former mining land, gray and black, he enchanted the mythical “Yellow Wall” of the former Westfalenstadion. Cajoled at the time by Thomas Tuchel, an old Parisian acquaintance, apostle of the transition game, he quickly became the darling of the “Black and Yellow”.

He had won the hearts of our fans before ruining everything needlessly

Hans-Joachim Watzke, general director of Borussia Dortmund

His sudden accelerations and swaying dribbles immediately hit the mark. With confidence, he played a lot (50 matches, his biggest season since the start of his career), spared from injuries which will become too recurrent in Barcelona (784 days of absence between 2017 and 2023). Stringing together matches allowed him to gain in density and efficiency (10 goals and 22 assists, his best career record). “With him, Dortmund has gold”judged the former BvB defender, Thomas Helmer, who however questioned the German club’s ability to “keep it”.

Looking back, it sounded like a premonition. In the summer of 2017, just one year after his arrival from Rennes, the previously clear and sunny sky suddenly darkened. Approached by Barça, forced to see Neymar fly to Paris for the record sum of 222 million euros, Ousmane Dembélé surprisingly demanded his departure. Ready to do anything to force his transfer to Catalonia, he began a training strike. After a week of standoff, which gave rise to the “Dembélé affair”, Borussia resolved to let him leave reluctantly, in exchange for 135 million euros.

An episode that left its mark. “His behavior was absolutely unacceptable. Not accepting a contract is not okay at all. This attitude was a disaster”tackled in the columns of The Team Matthias Sammer, former Borussia executive who became special advisor. “He had won the hearts of our fans before ruining everything unnecessarily”summarized Hans-Joachim Watzke, general director of the BvB, interviewed on the sidelines of Ousmane Dembélé’s return to Dortmund for the first time since 2017.

In 2019, two years after his departure, an injury – yet another – deprived him of the trip to Germany with Barça. As for this season, when PSG went to snatch a draw across the Rhine (1-1), “Dembouz” remained in Paris, suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards.

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A long wait that makes his reunion even more special. In addition to the reception, more than hostile, that the Borussia supporters will give him, it is the reaction of Ousmane Dembélé which will be scrutinized. He demonstrated against Barça that it did not bother him. “It’s not something that affects me. I’m not going to change my game for whistles”, he explained on Canal+ after being named “man of the match” at Montjuïc, where he celebrated his goal without restraint before a meme showing him all smiles at 4-1 went viral. We wonder what attitude he will adopt if he scores against Borussia.