A former Real Madrid captain and club legend Toni Kroos has expressed admiration for Ousmane Dembélé following his behaviour during UEFA Champions League action against Bayern Munich where psg knocked bayern out and qualified for the final.
Speaking to Marca, the former Madrid star praised the PSG winger for how he reacted after being substituted in the 65th minute of the Champions League semi-final.
This was his statement:
Luis Enrique subbed out Ousmane Dembélé, his best player, in the 65th minute of a Champions League semi-final and nobody complained. He exits the pitch, shakes his coach’s hand and sits on the bench cheering his teammates. There are some counter examples to this.
He further added:
You look at Ousmane Dembélé, and how he’s yelling at his teammates to keep fighting, from the bench. That’s not what 90% of players who think they’re stars would do. They start to do bad gestures on the pitch, then sit on the bench sulking.
Softfootball believes many fans, pundits, and former footballers have compared Dembélé’s reaction to the behaviour sometimes shown by other star players when substituted, particularly regarding visible frustration on the pitch.
The comments have also sparked discussions online about leadership, professionalism, and team spirit in modern football, with many supporters praising Dembélé for continuing to encourage his teammates from the bench despite being taken off.
