Bitter Return As PSG’s Dembele Booed In Barca Loss

• He is a French professional footballer who plays as a winger for Paris Saint-Germain and the France national team
• He played for Barcelona before signing with Paris Saint-Germain
• Barcelona fans booed him during his Champions League return with Paris Saint-Germain

Former Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele was booed by Barca’s fans during his Champions League return with Paris Saint-Germain. The fans are convinced that he left the club on hate but he cleared the air that he loves Barcelona.

The Barca fans were not pleased when their former favourite netted two goals for PSG against Barca and his celebration was criticized. While scoring goals is usually a positive for a player, he scored the goals against the team he initially played for and some fans might have felt betrayed by his decision to leave.

During the match, PSG scored 4-1 against their rivals Barcelona, and the latter had a red card and some controversial referee decisions went against them. Their frustration from the loss might be directed at him even if he performed well.

Before signing with PSG, he had a strained relationship with Barcelona due to a contract renewal dispute and fans might have felt he wasn’t committed to the club and were unhappy with the situation.

In this match, some fans were inflamed by his celebration of his goals against Barcelona in the first leg at PSG and there is an unwritten rule that players should avoid celebrating excessively against their former clubs. This however was seen as disrespectful by some Barca supporters.

Ousmane Dembele early and present life

Ousmane Dembele was born in France to Mali and Mauritanian-Senegalese parents on May 15, 1997 and his career journey began with local clubs like ALM Evreux and Evreux FC 27, before joining Stade Rennais.

Ousmane Dembele. Photo/Sky Sports

He made his professional debut for Stade Rennais and at that time, he was the youngest player to score 10 goals in Ligue 1. A Year later, he made a move to Germany and joined Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga.

In his first season with Borussia, he won the DFB-Pokal and in the following season, he made another big move to Barcelona. In his first season with the club, injuries hampered his performance though he made it through and won several trophies including La Liga titles and Copa del Rey.

In 2023, there was a contract renewal dispute with Barcelona and he signed with Paris Saint-Germain where he reunited with his former teammate Kylian Mbappe, where he is currently working on establishing himself as a key player.

Internationally, he has represented the France national team and was part of the French squad that won the 2018 FIFA World Cup though his playing time was limited. He also featured in UEFA Euro 2020 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Dembele’s challenges in his career

His career has not been a walk  in the park as it has been marked by both incredible highs and some significant challenges. In his first seasons at Barcelona, he had frequent hamstring injuries which limited his playing time and consistency.

He struggled to maintain peak performance throughout a season and this raised questions about his focus and overall work ethic. In 2023 after his initial contract expired with Barca, his renewal became strained and this led to a less ideal departure for both the club and Dembele.

Despite his struggles, he faced criticism from Barcelona fans for some of his off-field behavior and perceived lack of commitment during his early years at the club. Barcelona paid his high price tag and this created immense pressure to perform at a superstar level, which could have also affected his consistency.

Why was Dembele booed by Barca fans?

Former Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele was booed by Barca’s fans during his champions league return with Paris Saint-Germain. The fans are convinced that he left the club on hate but he cleared the air that he loves Barcelona.

Ousmane Dembele. Photo/SPORT

The Barca fans were not pleased when their former favorite netted two goals for PSG against Barca and his celebration was criticized. While scoring goals is usually a positive for a player, he scored the goals against the team he initially played for and some fans might have felt betrayed by his decision to leave.

During the match, PSG scored 4-1 against their rivals Barcelona, and the latter had a red card and some controversial referee decisions went against them. Their frustration from the loss might be directed at him even if he performed well.