Barcelona ace Ousmane Dembele continues to have troubles off the pitch, and both Andres Iniesta and Rivaldo have shared advice on the matter.
The 21-year-old has been a crucial figure on the pitch for the Catalan giants so far this season, scoring nine goals and providing five assists in 20 appearances in all competitions.
SEE MORE: Video: Ousmane Dembele scores superb counter-attacking goal to give Barcelona 1-0 lead vs Tottenham
He’s bagged two great goals in his last two outings against Espanyol and Tottenham respectively, and so it would appear as though coach Ernesto Valverde is getting what he wants from him on the pitch.
However, the issues lie off it as The Sun note how the Frenchman was late for training again on Sunday, which wasn’t the first time this season.
That lack of professionalism and not having the right attitude and approach despite playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world is bizarre to say the least, and both Rivaldo and Iniesta have now commented on the situation.
The Barcelona legends have perhaps taken different approaches themselves, with Rivaldo arguably being a bit more critical and urging Dembele to get his act together, while Iniesta has seemingly adopted a calmer approach as he wants to two parties to work together and come up with a solution.
“Ousmane Dembele’s situation at Barcelona is upsetting because he’s already shown that he can play very well, score goals and be an important member of the team,” Rivaldo said, as quoted by ESPN. “He just needs to focus on being a little more professional and to stop being late for training sessions. If he doesn’t change, he is hurting himself more than the club.”
“There is always a way to fix any mistake. We have to listen to what he has said, learn about what has happened and solve it,” Iniesta noted on the situation. “Ousmane is an important player for the club, but when a player makes a mistake, we have to look for solutions and not just try to destroy the player.”
It remains to be seen if Barcelona and Dembele can sort out the problems that exist, if any, as given he continues to play such a key role in their bid for success this season, they’ll surely want the starlet to remain at the Nou Camp for the foreseeable future as he continues to improve and develop.
