Dembele of PSG Named Champions League Player of the Season

Paris Saint-Germain striker Ousmane Dembele has been named the Champions League player of the season, as UEFA announced its team of the season on Sunday.

The French forward was instrumental in PSG’s historic Champions League victory, scoring eight goals throughout the competition and providing two assists in the final against Inter Milan.

Dembele’s impressive performance earned him praise from the UEFA Technical Observer Group, who noted that he had “taken on the role of a leader in the Paris Saint-Germain team” and had “created doubts for their opponents match after match with his clever movement, dropping deep to give his team superiority in the midfield.”

PSG’s dominance in the Champions League was reflected in the team of the season, with seven players from the French club making the cut. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, defenders Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, and Nuno Mendes, midfielder Vitinha, and teenage attacker Desire Doue all joined Dembele in the XI.

The four non-PSG players in the team were defender Alessandro Bastoni of Inter Milan, midfielder Declan Rice of Arsenal, and Raphinha and Lamine Yamal of Barcelona.

The selection of players was based on their exceptional mobility and flexibility, with the UEFA report noting that the forward line selected “represents this – a flexible team with attacking players who can interchange positions.”

Doue, who scored twice and set up another in the final, was also named the competition’s young player of the year, edging out 17-year-old Yamal.

“Doue has been a revelation this season. He made an incredible breakthrough in the knockout phase, going to the final and producing a Player of the Match performance on Saturday night, becoming the first teenager to score twice in a final,” said UEFA.

Dembele’s award could have a significant impact on the voting for the Ballon d’Or, the annual global player-of-the-year award, which will be presented on September 22. PSG’s Spanish coach, who led the team to their first-ever Champions League title, has already thrown his support behind Dembele, saying “I’d give the Ballon d’Or to Ousmane Dembele, simply for the way he defends.”

Yamal, Raphinha, and Donnarumma are also among the frontrunners for the award, which promises to be one of the most competitive in recent years.