Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Luis Campos has insisted that Ousmane Dembele deserves this 12 months’s Ballon d’Or, dismissing strategies that Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal ought to take the prize.
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Campos, talking on French radio present , mentioned the Ballon d’Or ought to replicate the achievements of a single season somewhat than future potential.
He praised Yamal as an excellent prospect however argued his file with Barcelona didn’t examine to Dembele’s decisive function in PSG’s treble-winning marketing campaign.
“We’re Lamine Yamal as an enormous participant for the longer term,” Campos mentioned. “However we’re speaking a few very particular season. What has he received? The Spanish league.”
In distinction, Dembele led PSG to their first Champions League triumph, ending as high scorer in Ligue 1 and accumulating each Finest Participant in Ligue 1 and Finest Participant within the Champions League awards.
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His season complete of 35 objectives and 16 assists, alongside decisive shows in Europe, satisfied Campos there must be no debate over the award.
“Whether or not his identify is Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, there isn’t any dialogue,” he continued. “If Dembele doesn’t win, it means the individuals who voted wouldn’t have the abilities to take action.”
The Ballon d’Or has a protracted historical past of rewarding the sport’s biggest stars, .
PSG have 9 nominees in complete for the Ballon d’Or, with Achraf Hakimi and Vitinha additionally recognised after successful the Nations League. Campos highlighted them as deserving candidates however made clear Dembele was on one other stage.
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“The reality is that the perfect participant within the Champions League and in Ligue 1 is Ousmane Dembele,” he mentioned. “The Ballon d’Or must be his.”
The French ahead left Barcelona for Paris in 2023 and flourished below Luis Enrique, who deployed him as a false 9. His mix of tempo, creativity and ending made him central to PSG’s home and European dominance, culminating in a historic treble.
The Ballon d’Or can be introduced on 22 September, with each Dembele and Yamal on the shortlist. The 2 are at the moment sidelined by way of harm however might meet when PSG face Barcelona within the Champions League group stage on 1 October.
For Campos, nonetheless, the decision ought to already be clear. “This season, the participant with the perfect statistics and essentially the most prominence in all competitions is Ousmane Dembele,” he concluded.