Dembele & Kvaratskhelia On The Ballon d'Or, PSG Chemistry & Their Ultimate 5-A-Side Team
Julien Laurens sits down at the Paris Saint-Germain training ground with Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for The Football Interview. From their early memories of following each other on Instagram to winning European trophies together, the PSG duo open up about their chemistry on the pitch, Luis Enrique's tactical influence, Ballon d'Or ambitions, growing up in football, and building their ultimate 5-a-side team of legendary players. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro & The Instagram Story 00:50 - Dembélé & Kvaratskhelia on First Impressions 02:20 - Playing Style & On-Pitch Chemistry 04:23 - Ballon d'Or Discussion 05:12 - Oldham Athletic & Knowledge of Football History 05:34 - Building the Ultimate Ballon d'Or 5-A-Side Team 06:49 - Kvaratskhelia's Journey: Growing Up in Georgia & Early Career 08:26 - Learning From His Father & Dribbling Origins 10:38 - Moving to Napoli & Joining PSG 11:35 - Working Under Luis Enrique 12:03 - Can PSG Win Three Champions League Titles in a Row? 13:55 - Dembélé on Ballon d'Or 14:53 - How Life Changed After Champions League Success 16:07 - Maturity and Learning from Lionel Messi 17:22 - Credit to Team-mates & Maintaining the Top Level Follow more on the BBC Sport app, iPlayer and Sounds. ============= Find us here: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BBCMOTD X: https://x.com/BBCMOTD Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbcfootball/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bbcsport bbcfootball Follow more on the BBC Sport app, iPlayer and Sounds. ============= Find us here: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BBCMOTD X: https://x.com/BBCMOTD Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbcfootball/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bbcsport bbcfootball
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When I was in Napoli, he followed me on Instagram. >> In one game, I was right back. I think I dribble like six players, one against one to the goalkeeper and I miss. >> Have you ever heard of old Athletic? >> Old Athletic. >> Hello, I'm Julian Lawrence and today we are at the PhD training ground, home of the French champions, of course, but also of the backto-back European champions. And today we have a special interview because we will talk to both Usman Dembele and Vikra. >> Man, I mean I know your English is good but with you we do in French and we in English. Okay. >> Okay. >> Well, let's start. [laughter] So his first memory of you, it was cold. He said, "I can't really remember. It was January. It was freezing." What would be your first memory of man? >> Uh, you know, when I was in Napoli, he followed me on Instagram. [laughter] And I say like like maybe he just uh pushed you know >> and I was waiting like sorry [laughter] and after when I came here I asked like why you follow me? He told me I was watching Napoli games and please when he follow me I show to my friends look he's following me >> and now like we are friends. So yeah when I see him I I see like guy who always smiles always in a positive way. younger [laughter] than him as well. He's the older one. What would you say makes us special as a as a footballer? >> I think his qualities. The the way he plays with the both legs, the way he accelerates, the way he have conversation with the ball, the relationship in the book. I think most talented player I ever seen. So >> I really enjoy when I see him play. [laughter] Electric. Electric. What is it like to play with? How is it to play together? >> I think we understand each other very very much. Uh I can say one moment when I give him assist against Byron because when I run and I see us I know what he what he will do and where he will open and I just give him the ball and I think it's really easy to understand him because the way he understand football it's easy to understand what he will make and >> yeah you just have to make some move and he will give you ball wherever he wants and wherever you are waiting. So I think it's really easy and I think we understand each other very very good. exceptionally [laughter] just said that you deserve to win the ball. If I ask you the same question, who for you deserve to win the B and why? >> Of course. Yes, of course. Because uh yeah, he's amazing player and the way he leads the team it's important, you know, the way he personality and what he gives the team in the pitch is really incredible. And the season he had last year, it was amazing like year when he won the ball, it was the same. So I think he deserves and that's why he won the bond door. [laughter] >> 50/50. We can cut it and then we give it. >> Yeah, we love each other, you know. >> Yeah. >> This is Paul from Manchester. >> Who's your club by the way? >> City. >> Have you ever heard of Oldm Athletic? >> Old Athletic. >> He plays football manager. So he knows he knows all the clubs. Are you league [music] 2 now? >> Yeah. >> But you were you were you were in the Premiership? >> Well, yeah. The first season of Premier League, we were in the Premier League. Yeah. [music] >> Yeah. >> You can come in Georgia league if you >> Okay, just to finish, we do a team of five players. Okay. You two, you're in the team, but I need three more players. No goalkeeper and no active players. So, players who have retired already who have won the ball. So, I've got a list here. You can share it together. >> [laughter] >> I know what he will choose. >> But we can go beck and b if you want. You can go. I've just put some recent one. But like who would be the dream to play with? >> Ronaldo. >> Oh yes. PSG legend. >> Zoo. >> Ronaldo. Brazilian Ronaldo. Yeah. Like [laughter] I don't know kaka kaka also I remember but from YouTube you know. [laughter] Yes. Pascal Ronaldo Ronaldo did that. Perfect. >> Now let's hear from them oneonone. >> Let's go back to the start. How was it growing up in in Bilis at the time? What was it for you as a as a young boy? >> What can I say only? It was like about football. I think everything like everybody when we go out like after when we done our lessons, we just go to the field and play all all the day. >> So it was school and after school football. Yes, even sometimes we miss classes [laughter] and sometimes even in the school like we were telling some some people like you want to play football against us and yes if they say yes we just miss classes and go to play five against five. >> So football was already the most important thing in your life like the center of your life really from a young age. Yeah, actually not only for me, I think in Georgia totally for the kids like football is really thing that they love the most. Uh, and the time I think uh for every kid the football was like like dream to play. >> So that was with your friends and you know school and around school. What was the first time you went actually to a proper club and what was do you remember the first like pressure on training having a coach? Yes, I remember exactly because uh I was only playing in the streets with my friends and my father was a player and uh like they told him to maybe it will be good to go now to train with some team and it was like really really small team and after that I moved to another acade academy. >> After to another academy >> yeah I think it was when I was 12 I already signed my first contract. >> Okay. So your dad was a pro. >> How was how was that like? Was he like a an idol for you? Was he a mentor? Was he a bit of a coach? Was he a bit of everything? >> Yeah. In the start, he was my idol because I didn't had like that time it was not like YouTube to you can search your father and watch. And I remember my my mom had like uh I don't know how they call like DVD uh you can put the the thing Yeah. tape and you can watch. And always I was watching my father's videos and I was in a shock like wow. And every time when I speak with my friends and they ask me like uh who is you for you the best player? I say my my father he was he was for me better than Messi Ronaldo everybody you know and after a little bit time I realized [laughter] how far this guy was. But yeah actually my father was really really really good player and I I was proud >> very much. >> And then did he start coaching you as well a bit or giving you advice >> like after the game he never speak with me to say some some mistakes >> because they wanted me to like learn from the mistakes and never we were speaking about mistakes. He was telling me that uh I can do something better only this and to eat good sleep good and positive things only. >> You're one of the best dribbers in the world now, one of the best wingers in the world. Will you was that always your position and was that pace and the dribbling always part of your game? In one game I was right back uh [laughter] in Dynamos Dinosa Academy and I take the ball and I I think I dribble like six players [laughter] and I was like one against one to the goalkeeper and I miss and it was like after that my coach told me you will play you will play winger and after that I was I was winger all the time. >> So you never wanted to play another position w that left wing especially to come inside. I think all all the time I was all right or left winger all the time and maybe sometimes I can I was playing like in the midfield like number 10 and something like that but uh I think totally I was left winger everywhere >> I guess there would there would be two key moments in your career maybe the move to Napoli and then the move obviously here to to Paris would you would you agree with that >> I was always wanted to play in Europe to perform in the highest level because it's really good when you see how how you can like what you can achieve achieve >> and when I was playing in Russia, I I my dream was to play in in Europe in a big uh big team. And when I moved to the Napoli, it was like really K moment for me. And I told myself like >> like now you have chance to show everybody that you deserve this. And of course after moving to PSG, it was another step to the forward because PG is one of the best team in football history. when when they told me the project the the way they were watching me uh I say to my agent to my father like don't even speak of with other team I I just moving there I I I knew that uh I can be successful in this team >> tell me what Lucen Ricky has done for you as a player and for your career since you've been working with him >> I think I learn many things maybe with this knowledge I can be coach even now because to be with him it's uh like every day you learn something every day mentally, physically, psychologically you are like another person because he gives you lessons every time. Uh with this coach I think you just have to listen and do things what he's telling you and just give 100% on the pitch. >> When you think about your journey from from Billy here to PSG to the Champions League to being a Balandor contender, what do you think about when you when you look back at it? I think it was impossible for me to even be like to play in national team in Georgia. It was like uh very far for me and I think every kid is the same in the start. But uh when you start working and step by step when you see things everything seems like clear you can do you can achieve it. >> What would it mean for you personally if you win the balandor and and for Georgian football as well as well as a whole? I think uh for the big nations football uh it's really difficult to understand what it will be would mean uh for the small country because uh it's like something that it's very far it's like impossible but I'm really proud that uh I'm one of the contenders and with to be with this extraordinary players uh it's a pleasure and uh of course I will be the happiest Yes guy uh because I want to make my family my country proud. >> And just last one can you do three in a row? Can you do Champions League Champions League win three three years in a row? >> Um everything is possible. I think even uh in the first time it was difficult to understand that we can win first time. >> Yeah. >> Uh but we did it. I tell it was difficult to win back to back but we did it. So everything is possible in football if you are hungry all the time and I think this team have capability to win everything as possible. So I think we can do everything. Exceptional. Except for Roman Vto. Forebody. Professionalist for example. Barcelona top. Fore! Foreign! Foreign! Back to back.