Luis Enrique explains why he thinks Dembélé deserves Ballon d'Or, and not just for his goals

Paris Saint-Germain finally won a Champions League title, the year after Mbappé left, with a team with no clear stars, except perhaps for coach Luis Enrique, author of the tactical work that turned a young squad into a powerhouse. But perhaps one players stood out above the rest, due to his goal contributions: Ousmane Dembélé, with 33 goals an 14 assists, including two assists at the final, is being hailed as Ballon d'Or runner-up, a race that, according to early bets, only has other main candidate, Lamine Yamal.

For coach Luis Enrique, there is no doubt that his player, performing much better and consistently in Paris than he ever did in Barcelona, should be the winner of the top individual football award, and not simply because of his goals: "I would give the Ballon d'Or to Dembélé for his defending. That's what leading a team is all about. He deserves the Ballon d'Or without a doubt. Not just for the titles or the goals. Above all, for the way he defended today."

Talking more in depth with Movistar, Luis Enrique said that "Dembélé has always been a phenomenon. The thing is, you have to dig deeper. To get the best out of him, difficult things have had to be done and decided.

"But he's a leader, not just by words, but by example. Have you seen how he's pressed? Name a number nine in Europe who presses like that. When you press like that, being a leader, the rest just have to follow."