Dembele reacts sharply to teammates over pressing

The tension on the pitch went beyond the scoreline in the semifinal that ended France's World Cup dream with a 2-0 defeat to Spain. According to L'Equipe, Ousmane Dembele grew visibly frustrated during a first-half pressing sequence, upset that his teammates weren't following him, and made his displeasure clear on the pitch. This was not a formal "halftime team talk" but an instantaneous reaction during play.

The background to the incident tells the story of a collapse of a trio that had cast a spell over the tournament. The Kylian Mbappe-Michael Olise-Dembele trio, who had dazzled the world, were rendered completely ineffective against Spain, both in possession and in pressing. The Ballon d'Or holder, putting in his usual effort to win the ball back as he does at PSG, felt isolated and made this clear during a first-half pressing moment.

Post-match assessments confirm this performance. L'Equipe's ratings after the match gave Dembele a 2/10, judging: "First on the right, then moved centrally after half an hour, nothing worked: the Ballon d'Or did almost everything wrong."

This is not the first time Dembele has reacted against his teammates. Following PSG's defeat to Rennes in February, the star made a similar outburst, criticizing certain players — particularly Desire Doue — without naming them, for not putting in enough effort. Commentator Walid Acherchour, meanwhile, criticized head coach Didier Deschamps' selection, arguing that Doue, who had been France's best player against Morocco and more productive off the ball, should have started against Spain.

Source: L'Equipe
Image: Goal