Ahead of Paris Saint-Germain’s first trip abroad of what would be a marathon, globe-trotting season, Ousmane Dembele was told to stay at home.
The instruction came as a shock, the explanation from the coach who had dropped him sounded a little opaque. “If an individual doesn’t comply with the team’s needs, it means they are not ready to play,” said Luis Enrique.
There was some comfort. “The situation,” he added, “is not irreversible and I’m not going to make a drama out of it.”
But a drama, Luis Enrique knew, would inevitably ensue, at least within parts of the broader PSG entourage and especially in some branches of the media who follow the club.
Not least because the game Dembele had been excluded from - after a disagreement with his coach the previous weekend and a reported late arrival to training - was at Arsenal in the Uefa Champions League, and PSG lost it 2-0.
There were two ways the relationship between coach and player, between player and club, between Dembele and PSG supporters, might have gone from here.
There might have been a season ahead like one of those that characterised the timeline of the younger Dembele, the beguilingly skillful winger who had commanded a fee in excess of €100 million to join Barcelona at the age of 20 footballer but who, by the age of 24 had appeared in well under half the club’s matches.
At Barca, he was often injured, and, rightly or wrongly, scrutiny in that phase of his career used to focus on his time-keeping, his self-discipline. When he did play he could be dazzling, but he was very often exasperating, his finishing erratic.
He might, having been dropped by Luis Enrique for PSG’s first taxing game outside France in the 2024-25, have played out a similar role to those he assumed in his early Barcelona years, of a shy young man overshadowed by a famous predecessor.
When Dembele joined Barca in 2017, he did so under the huge pressure of both that weighty transfer fee and with the obligation of fitting into a team Neymar had just left. The burden of succession then seemed too heavy.
There were hefty new responsibilities back in September, too. PSG and Luis Enrique were still working out a formula for success for their post-Kylian Mbappe era.
Mbappe had departed from Paris after seven years making himself the go-to striker, the figurehead of the club. In his absence, Dembele, a fellow France international, was designated as the man to lead the PSG attack. Following Mbappe, like replacing Neymar at Camp Nou, meant big boots to fill.
The other route out of what Luis Enrique had described as “a difficult decision”, excluding Dembele for the visit to Arsenal, was the upward one.
Happily, that has been Dembele's trajectory, one that might very well reach a stunning peak on Sunday on the edge of New York City when PSG meet Chelsea in the final of the new, enlarged Club World Cup. They do so as firm favourites to complete a clean sweep of trophies this season.
On that journey, Dembele has been the lodestar, the attacking guide and leading scorer through a campaign of unprecedented success for the club. Should PSG add the title of world club champions to those of European and French champions, it would be very hard to look beyond Dembele as outstanding candidate to collect this year’s Ballon d’Or.
On Wednesday against Real Madrid he struck his 35th goal of the club season and provided his 16th assist.
That’s in 52 appearances, several of them statement games like the 4-0 rout of Madrid in the Club World Cup semi-final, where Dembele had hassled Madrid’s Raul Asencio into one panicky mistake and Antonio Rudiger into another to put PSG 2-0 up within the opening 10 minutes.
Symptoms there of how the quick, alert Dembele alarms the most gnarled - Rudiger - and the most bumptious - Asencio - of elite defenders.
He’s cultivated that aura through an astonishing 2025 and several high-class contests. Dembele was key to PSG’s statement victories against Manchester City, Liverpool and Aston Villa on the road to their Uefa Champions League victory.
In the Champions League semi-final against Arsenal, it was Dembele’s finish in London that swung the tie in PSG’s favour, his goal the climax of a 26-pass PSG move in which his movement, dropping deep from the middle of the forward line, darting upfield to stretch the opposition, was a crucial dynamic.
Here, at Arsenal, where he had been left out at the beginning of the season with Luis Enrique pointedly referring to “a problem with the player’s responsibility to the team”, was Dembele at the heart and centre of a wonderful team goal.
Two assists in the record-breaking 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan in the Champions League final would follow and although Dembele, nursing minor injuries, missed out on the group stage at the Club World Cup, he has been vital in the business end of the tournament.
He was on the scoresheet against Bayern Munich in the quarter-final, silencing Madrid with the semi barely kicked-off.
“His team-mates look for him, and they find him,” noted Luis Enrique, describing how Dembele has grown into his leading role since their falling out in September, “and he’s at a very high level of performance, so that’s perfect for everyone.”
He has developed into a more rounded, all-purpose footballer, too. “We all knew Ousmane as a winger,” Luis Enrique said. “Now you see he can start out wide or more centrally. That’s a positive thing. His ability to move inside the box has been surprising — something more typical of a centre-forward.”
Plenty, then, for Chelsea to ponder, and, having analysed the nervousness of Madrid, and the helplessness of Inter in PSG’s last big final, to fear.
“We’re a dominant team most of the time,” purred Luis Enrique after the rout of Real, “and that makes things hard for our opponents. It’s up to the players now to capitalise on that and keep on making this a great season.”
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Five healthy carbs and how to eat them
Brown rice: consume an amount that fits in the palm of your hand
Non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli: consume raw or at low temperatures, and don’t reheat
Oatmeal: look out for pure whole oat grains or kernels, which are locally grown and packaged; avoid those that have travelled from afar
Fruit: a medium bowl a day and no more, and never fruit juices
Lentils and lentil pasta: soak these well and cook them at a low temperature; refrain from eating highly processed pasta variants
Courtesy Roma Megchiani, functional nutritionist at Dubai’s 77 Veggie Boutique
FIXTURES
Saturday
5.30pm: Shabab Al Ahli v Al Wahda
5.30pm: Khorfakkan v Baniyas
8.15pm: Hatta v Ajman
8.15pm: Sharjah v Al Ain
Sunday
5.30pm: Kalba v Al Jazira
5.30pm: Fujairah v Al Dhafra
8.15pm: Al Nasr v Al Wasl
The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%20four-cyl%20turbo%20%2B%20mild%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E204hp%20at%205%2C800rpm%20%2B23hp%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E320Nm%20at%201%2C800rpm%20%2B205Nm%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E9-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7.3L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENovember%2FDecember%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh205%2C000%20(estimate)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Muguruza's singles career in stats
WTA titles 3
Prize money US$11,128,219 (Dh40,873,133.82)
Wins / losses 293 / 149
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League last 16, second leg
Liverpool (0) v Atletico Madrid (1)
Venue: Anfield
Kick-off: Thursday, March 12, midnight
Live: On beIN Sports HD
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
What is the definition of an SME?
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.
Bio:
Favourite Quote: Prophet Mohammad's quotes There is reward for kindness to every living thing and A good man treats women with honour
Favourite Hobby: Serving poor people
Favourite Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite food: Fish and vegetables
Favourite place to visit: London
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Brief scores:
Everton 0
Leicester City 1
Vardy 58'
Match info
Costa Rica 0
Serbia 1
Kolarov (56')
Fight card
- Aliu Bamidele Lasisi (Nigeria) beat Artid Vamrungauea (Thailand) POINTS
- Julaidah Abdulfatah (Saudi Arabia) beat Martin Kabrhel (Czech Rep) POINTS
- Kem Ljungquist (Denmark) beat Mourad Omar (Egypt) TKO
- Michael Lawal (UK) beat Tamas Kozma (Hungary) KO
- Zuhayr Al Qahtani (Saudi Arabia) beat Mohammed Mahmoud (UK) POINTS
- Darren Surtees (UK) beat Kane Baker (UK) KO
- Chris Eubank Jr (UK) beat JJ McDonagh (Ireland) TKO
- Callum Smith (UK) beat George Groves (UK) KO
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
RESULTS - ELITE MEN
1. Henri Schoeman (RSA) 57:03
2. Mario Mola (ESP) 57:09
3. Vincent Luis (FRA) 57:25
4. Leo Bergere (FRA)57:34
5. Jacob Birtwhistle (AUS) 57:40
6. Joao Silva (POR) 57:45
7. Jonathan Brownlee (GBR) 57:56
8. Adrien Briffod (SUI) 57:57
9. Gustav Iden (NOR) 57:58
10. Richard Murray (RSA) 57:59
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDate%20started%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202020%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Khaldoon%20Bushnaq%20and%20Tariq%20Seksek%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Global%20Market%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20HealthTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20100%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20to%20date%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2415%20million%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Fireball
Moscow claimed it hit the largest military fuel storage facility in Ukraine, triggering a huge fireball at the site.
A plume of black smoke rose from a fuel storage facility in the village of Kalynivka outside Kyiv on Friday after Russia said it had destroyed the military site with Kalibr cruise missiles.
"On the evening of March 24, Kalibr high-precision sea-based cruise missiles attacked a fuel base in the village of Kalynivka near Kyiv," the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.
Ukraine confirmed the strike, saying the village some 40 kilometres south-west of Kyiv was targeted.
How Beautiful this world is!
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
SCORES
Multiply Titans 81-2 in 12.1 overs
(Tony de Zorzi, 34)
bt Auckland Aces 80 all out in 16 overs
(Shawn von Borg 4-15, Alfred Mothoa 2-11, Tshepo Moreki 2-16).
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
