The triumph of Ousmane Dembele, despite his low number of starts and minutes played, has sparked controversy due to his lack of consistency throughout the season. The footballer himself acknowledges how much playing time has impacted his performance, but believes that every time he has been on the pitch, he has tried to help the team.
Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele has beaten team-mate Vitinha and Marseille winger Mason Greenwood to be crowned Ligue 1 Player of the Year, despite his severe lack of game time in the division.
Dembele, who won the Ballon d'Or last year, has only started nine games in the French top flight this campaign, scoring 10 goals and providing six assists, with the attacker saving his best performances for the Champions League. In spite of his low numbers, the 28-year-old still did enough in the eyes of his colleagues to retain his title at the UNFP Trophies ceremony in Paris on Monday evening.
The triumph has been controversial among French football fans and media, with many finding it hard to understand how a player who has played less than 1000 minutes in Ligue 1 this season could win the division's top individual accolade.
'Perceptions have changed because I'm the reigning Ballon d'Or winner,' Dembele said. 'And yes, I've had quite a few physical setbacks. I haven't had a lot of playing time, but every time I've been on the pitch, I've tried to be there for the team.
'That was the case against Marseille and against Lille, where I tried to help the team. I don't know if my time counts double, but I'm happy that the players voted for me.
' Ousmane Dembele won Ligue 1 Player of the Year despite managing only nine starts in the division for PSG Dembele beat Marseille's Mason Greenwood to the award who was seen at the ceremony in Paris with partner Harriet Robson Dembele managed to beat Greenwood, who arrived at the awards with partner Harriet Robson, with whom he shares two children. The Marseille forward notched up 16 goals in Ligue 1 this season, six more than Dembele, but he has spent significantly more time on the pitch, playing over 1,300 more minutes than the French international.
The former Man United star joined Marseille in the summer of 2024 in a £30million move, following a brief loan spell at Getafe. It was decided he would leave Man United after he was arrested in January 2022 before being charged with attempted rape, assault and controlling and coercive behaviour. Charges against Greenwood were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service following the 'withdrawal of key witnesses and new material coming to light'.
Greenwood had come through the academy at Man United before graduating to the first team. He went on to make 129 appearances and score 35 goals for the first team. Dembele also managed to scoop the award ahead of Vitinha, who has once again been a shining light in PSG's midfield all season, as they close in on the Ligue 1 title, and a second Champions League final in a row.
The French winger paid tribute to both Vitinha, joking that he was told to by the Portuguese midfielder himself, and his manager, Luis Enrique. PSG midfielder Vitinha also attended the awards show with his wife Tatiana Rendeiro Torres He added: 'I wanted to thank my whole family, the staff, the president, the coach Luis Enrique. I'm lucky to have a coach like that; he's exceptional.
'And Vitinha too, because he asked me to pay him a little tribute. He's an exceptional teammate, I think he deserved this trophy, but with a goal.
' Vitinha responded: 'He deserved it. He's the Ballon d'Or winner, he's the best player in our league. Get things done quickly, otherwise he will sweat too much. It could be a pain for him. '
Ousmane Dembele Ligue 1 Player Of The Year Vitinha Mason Greenwood Champions League
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