Ousmane Dembele of PSG shuts down rumors of tension with Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid after Ballon d'Or comments.
The Ballon d'Or ceremony is approaching, and with it come the rivalries between players. This time, Ousmane Dembele, the Paris Saint-Germain forward, is again one of the players involved.
Dembele is among the favorite candidates to win the Ballon d'Or again (let us remember he won last year's edition), competing against some of his club teammates, like Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Fabian Ruiz, as well as other players from different clubs, such as Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe.
And it is precisely Mbappe, Real Madrid forward and former teammate of Ousmane, the other protagonist of this situation. For a few weeks now, the media have speculated that the two players' relationship was tense, even 'cold'.
The conversations intensified, especially after the Frenchman, now wearing the white shirt, gave an interview to France Football about Dembele and the difference between them.
"He has always been seen as a player with talent; I have always been seen as the chosen one. He had a different path, injuries, but he made up for it," said Mbappe.
His words, in some way, caused the public to take this poorly, so tensions seemed to rise.
For his part, PSG's No. 10 gave an interview at a news conference on Thursday and addressed the supposed rivalry between the two.
Dembele was direct and rejected any rumors, assuring that he would not comment on it, as there is no problem and he does not have time for it.
"There's nothing to it. These are small social media discussions; I'm not into them. I'm 29; I don't have any time for these things. I am concentrated on the game. Are we still friends? We have spoken. We sit together at the table. There is no problem."
The 29-year-old Frenchman also highlighted the hard work he has put in to earn what he has now.
"I have always been at the back of the class, working hard. In my entire career, I have not said a single word. I have worked a lot. As I said, I was never the chosen one, but I worked and last year, I was rewarded for a fantastic year with PSG, and this year, we will see, without pressure," he explained.
Words carry weight, and although Mbappe didn't intend to hurt his national team teammate, the narrative continues to circulate among fans.
In the meantime, both players are focused on their next match against the French national team, as they will face Italy in matchday 3 of 6 of the UEFA Nations League group stage.
