“Who deserves the Ballon d’Or?” The question was simple, Ibrahima Konate answered it straightforwardly. ‘Ousmane Dembele deserves it,’ adjudicated the French central defender at a press conference on Wednesday, ahead of the clash with Spain.
“He’s had an exceptional season. Nobody expected him to be there: he deserves the Ballon d’Or this season. I’m the happiest man in the world for him.”
A clear and unequivocal stance, in contrast to the more evasive ones taken by Manu Kone and Rayan Cherki, who also praised the performances of Kylian Mbappe, their captain.
“There are two great Frenchmen who can claim it today, one who plays for Real Madrid, the other for PSG. I’d vote for both of them,” said the first just a few days ago.
Konate calls on press to conduct ‘Dembele Ballon d’Or’ propaganda campaign
However, nobody will have missed the fact that the names of the two Frenchmen are not the only ones being mooted as possible winners of the prestigious award. In Spain, Lamine Yamal is already the talk of the town. And the entire Iberian press is starting to pull out all the stops. Even to the point of half-heartedly explaining that this Nations League semi-final could decide the future winner of the Ballon d’Or.
A possibility that Konate refutes, arguing that the French media should follow in their colleagues’ footsteps in defending the French colours.
“That’s what the Spaniards asked Lamine Yamal,” laughed the Liverpool player. “I didn’t see how it went, but it’s very, very strong what they did. You should do the same in France. How can you bet everything on Thursday’s game? It’s not serious.
“The youngster is also good at communicating, but that’s not going to be the issue. We have to say it: it’s Ousmane (Dembele) who deserves the Ballon d’Or. That’s all there is to it.”
The message has got through.
