France will return to the Stade de France on Friday night with Italy waiting across the halfway line, and Ousmane Dembélé has made clear that the focus is on points rather than old narratives. The vice-captain refused to be drawn into speculation over his relationship with Kylian Mbappé before the Nations League meeting, insisting there is no issue between the two.
Asked about reports of tension with his former Paris Saint-Germain teammate, Dembélé said he had no interest in what he described as minor disputes. At 29, he said, his attention is fixed on football.
“We have spoken, we sit next to each other at the table and there is no problem,” Dembélé said.
Mbappé remains an important figure
Dembélé rejected the suggestion that France become a fundamentally different side when Mbappé is absent. He stressed the importance of the forward, who has scored 67 goals in 107 international appearances, while also underlining the depth available to the national team.
Mbappé has brought a major contribution to France, Dembélé said, but success cannot be dependent on one player or a small group. The squad must function collectively, with all 23 players capable of making a difference.
“When he is with us, we are very happy because he adds something,” Dembélé said. “But other players can emerge. You do not win with one, two or three players; you win with 23.”
The Italy fixture carries its own weight for Dembélé, who acknowledged the history between the two nations and the special atmosphere surrounding their meetings. France want all three points in a match he described as distinct from an ordinary international night.
Freedom in the central role
Dembélé has been used as a central attacker for PSG throughout the season and expects a similarly fluid brief for France. He said Zinédine Zidane has given him considerable freedom across the two international matches, allowing him to drop deeper and connect play rather than remain fixed in the penalty area.
The attacker sees similarities between the approach at PSG and the one being developed with France. In both environments, he said, the attacking players are encouraged to express themselves, take pleasure in possession and build an active, forward-thinking team.
“There is a bit of Luis Enrique and a bit of Zidane in it,” Dembélé said of his No. 9 responsibilities. “At PSG and with France, I have a lot of quality around me. I know I have to score and provide assists.”
He added that he feels comfortable in the current France set-up, where he is surrounded by players capable of supplying movement, combinations and final-third quality.
Pride in the vice-captaincy
The France squad has undergone substantial change, but Dembélé said many of the newer faces were already familiar to the established players from meetings on the pitch. His promotion to vice-captain is a source of pride, although he does not intend to alter his personality to fit the role.
Known for communicating constantly with teammates, Dembélé joked that he already talks too much. His aim is simply to remain himself while offering support to those around him.
“I do not want to change the way I am,” he said. “I want to stay the same and help the team.”
Zidane’s drive and Dembélé’s evolution
Dembélé also dismissed any idea that Zidane is motivated by revenge against Italy because of the events of the 2006 World Cup final. Instead, he portrayed the France coach as fully focused on his current work and driven by a strong desire to succeed with the national side.
For Dembélé, being coached by Zidane is a privilege. He called the former France captain an absolute legend and said working under him is a source of immense pleasure.
The PSG forward believes his own development has been shaped by years spent alongside elite players. Once determined to become more than a dribbler, he has worked to add passing, decision-making and finishing to his game.
After four or five seasons alongside exceptional teammates, Dembélé feels he has become the more complete attacker he once wanted to be: a player able to beat an opponent, create for others and deliver goals himself.
