Ousmane Dembélé: "With a lot of seriousness but also a lot of joy"
The Paris Saint-Germain forward spoke at a press conference ahead of the UEFA Champions League final against Inter Milan, scheduled for 21:00 on Saturday 31 May at the Munich Football Arena. Excerpts.
The atmosphere surrounding the match
"There is a lot of pride in being here in the final. It hasn't been easy, but it's exceptional to be here in Munich. We know how excited the people of Paris are about this match. We are approaching this final with a lot of seriousness but also a lot of joy. We will have to control our emotions. We're excited, but we need to stay calm and focused. We need to smile too, because these are incredible moments. I think that will be one of the keys to tomorrow's match."
The team's progress since the last match in Munich
"Since our last match here, against Bayern, the team has raised its level of play, and so have I. I'm happy with what we've done since our last match here. We hope to continue on this path to victory. Inter are a very good team and deserve to be in the final. They defend well but also attack well. They've been playing together for four or five years, so the players know each other inside out. They're a great team."
His motivation
"Ever since I was a kid, I've dreamed of playing in a match like this. But I have to stay focused on the game and the team, not just on myself. I hope I can play a great game."
His positioning
"I've always had the coach's confidence. I've been used to this central position since I started playing professionally. I have a lot of freedom to move left and right and throw the opponent off balance. I try to be smart in my movements."