- Winger hails Liverpool and Arsenal triumphs
- Urges focus on Ligue 1 campaign joy
- Champions League obsession dismissed as distraction
French superstar Dembele, fresh off the best season of his career, urged PSG to “forget” their historic achievements and focus on repeating them. Speaking to Le Monde the winger reflected on PSG’s treble-winning campaign, including a Champions League triumph over Inter, but stressed the importance of wiping the slate clean and building momentum again.
The French international, who hit 35 goals and 16 assists in 2024-25, also highlighted the unforgettable knockout wins against Liverpool and Arsenal as key milestones on the road to European glory, which ended with a stunning 5-0 win against Inter in the final.
“The successes of last season are part of history, but we must forget them if we want to relive an extraordinary season,” Dembele said. “We want to become champions. Champions win big trophies like the Champions League two or three times in their careers.”
When asked about his most cherished memories of the season, Dembele replied: “Like everyone else. A 5-0 victory at this stage of the competition doesn’t happen every year! From start to finish, the team played an incredible match. It was really that evening that I experienced the best emotions of the season.”
However named the penalty shootout win against Liverpool as “the other greatest moment” and “the beginning of a great run”, adding: “It was exceptional. As well as the two matches against Arsenal, in the semi-finals [1-0 in London, then 2-1 at the Parc des Princes].”
Finally, he underlined PSG’s drive to sustain success despite the physical and mental toll of last season: “We still have a lot of motivation. We have a young group, which is still hungry for victories. What we experienced last season, we want to relive it every year.”
PSG were unable to follow up their Champions League success by winning the Club World Cup title, instead losing to Chelsea in the final in the United States. They did, however, bounce back to beat Tottenham in the UEFA Super Cup and have won their first two Ligue 1 matches so far this season.
For Dembele and PSG, the challenge is to prove that last season wasn’t a one-off peak. Luis Enrique‘s side must defend Ligue 1 while staying fresh for another deep Champions League run.
Individually, Dembele’s Ballon d’Or hopes hang in the balance, with voters weighing his historic club achievements against elite competitors like Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Kylian Mbappe. Regardless of the outcome on September 22, his rise to leadership signals another major run the club is aiming at.
