"I am not a man who cheats" - Sidelined, Ousmane Dembélé replies

This Thursday morning, the Frenchman was not selected for the Copa del Rey match against Athletic Bilbao. The Catalan club’s executive director says Dembélé must leave the club as soon as possible.

Mateu Alemany, Barca’s technical director, also says Dembélé isn’t involved enough in the club’s project.

Following these remarks and the agitation in recent days, even in recent weeks around his situation at the club, Ousmane Dembélé wanted to express himself and clarify things, in a long message posted on his Instagram account .

Here is the statement:

“As of today, I will answer with sincerity and without giving in to any blackmail. I am not a man who cheats and even less a man who has a habit of giving in to blackmail”.

“For 4 years, I have only read things said about me without taking the trouble to justify myself. For 4 years, slander is frequent. For 4 years, people speak in my place, they lie shamefully with for only goal, the intention to harm me. For 4 years, I made the choice never to answer, never to justify myself. Was it a mistake? Certainly. As of today, this is over From today, I will answer with sincerity and without giving in to any blackmail. I am 24 years old and like any man, I have faults, imperfections. I have known complex moments, wounds , I was affected by the Covid. Without any training, the coach called on me and I always answered present… without batting an eyelid. Answer present simply as I have always done because it is my passion”, explains the French international.

My field is football, simply playing football, sharing moments of joy with my teammates, with our supporters. Above all, let’s focus on the essentials: winning.”