France fail to compensate for Mbappé: French fury targets Dembélé after his disastrous performance
A shocking rating from the French press: comparisons with his spell at Paris Saint-Germain
Ousmane Dembélé has come in for widespread criticism after his disappointing display in France's 1-1 draw with Italy. With Kylian Mbappé absent, Zinedine Zidane handed Dembélé the role of out-and-out striker and counted on him to deliver. He didn't.
The 2025 Ballon d'Or winner never reached the level expected of him. He posed little threat to the Italian defence, lacked precision in the final third and squandered a clear-cut chance after the break when Gianluigi Donnarumma saved his shot.
His involvement stirred wide controversy, especially given the glaring gap between what he produces for Paris Saint-Germain and what he musters in a France shirt.
According to the "Foot Mercato" network, "L'Équipe" handed Dembélé a lowly 3 out of 10, while "Le Parisien" gave him 4 out of 10.
The French press pointed to his missing sharpness and his limited impact despite his attempts to press. Such a performance, they argued, was not befitting a man crowned with the Ballon d'Or and tipped to become one of the brightest attacking lights of France's new generation.
"FM" proved more lenient, offering 5 out of 10 while noting that more was expected from a player of his abilities.
Sharp criticism of Dembélé
Dave Appadoo aimed his criticism straight at Dembélé on "La Chaîne L'Équipe", saying: "Good evening Ousmane, I have two words I want to say to you. You are the Ballon d'Or winner, but it was a Ballon d'Or in Paris. There is a very big difference between what you produce with Paris and what you continue not to produce with the France national team."
He added: "We feel that you cannot impose yourself on this national team. The circumstances were ideal with Kylian absent, especially as Zidane placed you in the best position, as a centre-forward. You went back to your old technical mistakes, and your inability to place your shots between the posts. Everyone expects a lot from you, and now it is your turn, Ousmane."
That verdict drags an old question back into the open. Why does Dembélé's impact drop so sharply between Paris Saint-Germain and France, where he struggles to hit the same heights with Les Bleus?
Zidane, for his part, refused to pile harsh criticism on his player after the match. He insisted he had little to blame him for, while admitting Dembélé could have produced more.
A chance to respond arrives on Monday, when France face Belgium. The pressure is mounting on Dembélé to prove that his flop against Italy was not a true measure of his level with the national team under Zidane.
