"When he is used correctly, there is no other player in the world as good as him." This is what Xavi Alonso said about Ousmane Dembele when he was the coach of Barcelona. Dembele himself is likely to be emotional when he hears this around 2021. Xavi would have been sadder than this. Some doubted the usefulness of this French player.

In 2017, Barcelona bought Dembele from Borussia Dortmund as the second most expensive player in world football. At that time, Barcelona paid 135 million pounds for him. Since arriving at Barcelona, ​​he has seen many ups and downs. Some of the time he was injured. His own game has never been the same. It kept going down. Some questioned his dedication to football. 

But it was Dembele who finally won the Ballon d'Or award on Monday night. It was such an award, which he had dreamed of winning for a long time. When he actually won the award, he couldn't stop himself from bursting into tears. He thanked his family first. He did not forget the sacrifices made by his family for his playing career. 

Dembele knew why he got so emotional, his playing career has gone through a lot of ups and downs. Thanks to his dynamic contribution, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) not only won the French league and cup, but also won the European Champions League for the first time. This was a rare 'travel' achievement. Even PSG Club reached the final of the World Cup, but did not win the title. 

He scored 35 goals in all competitions and played a supporting role in 14 other goals. If we look at the statistics of the last season, it is clear that Dembele is the most consistent player. He left everyone behind in the process. Like Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe and Barcelona's Lamin Yamal and Rafinha. 

The journey from being a very talented player who could not play accordingly to becoming the best started especially from Barcelona, ​​whose special color can be said by the fun seen in PSG. The ambition of PSG also made him feel like a star player. As Mbappe left PSG for Real, it also paved the way for Dembele. 

This is what PSG coach Luis Enrique told Dembele after Mbappe left, "Now we want you to score goals, learn to play with a little bit of ink." Enrique's "coaching staff" used to encourage him, "We can win the Ballon d'Or." In 2023, PSG bought this French international player from Barcelona for 43.5 million pounds. 

In the season since then, Dembele scored 6 goals, assisted 14 goals and PSG won both the league and the cup. Mbappe's best performance for PSG was 44 goals in all competitions. In that sense, Dembele's performance before that was relatively weak. In the end, this was Mbappe's last season for PSG. He seemed real. 

PSG was like new without Mbappe. The team needed a new leader. In exactly this role, Atay, Dembele. He contributed 51 goals, more than double his previous season best. Enrique said one thing that what is needed from Dembele is goals, not more 'assists' than goals. 

The analysis of that 'coaching staff' was that if Dembele creates as many goal opportunities as possible, if he turns them into goals, it will benefit not only him, but the entire team. Hearing this, Dembele changed himself. Be serious. And played according to his new role. He now enjoys the role of 'False Nine' and touches the ball as much as possible.  Taking and giving

passes has come easy to him in this role. Not only this, he has also been helped to convert passes into goals. This is Dembele's new role, he is like a new player. Mbappe's departure from PSG was not the only reason for Dembele's rise, it was only a step that laid a foundation. Although he was rarely injured in Rennes and Dortmund, he was constantly injured for Barcelona. 

In the Nou Camp, he spent 784 days outside the field despite nothing. Barcelona had a separate kitchen to feed him. At that time his discipline was at its peak, he was the most fined player after a night out. It also affected his game. But when he was fully fit, he was a truly world-class player at Barcelona.