Dembele Confident He’ll Be Fit for UCL Final, Praises Luis Enrique as ‘One of the Best’

Ousmane Dembele press conference 

Ousmane Dembele eased PSG fan concerns over a calf injury, saying he’ll be ready for Budapest. The 29-year-old also backed Luis Enrique as one of the best coaches he’s had.

Dembele say PSG’s ambition unchanged as reigning Champions target UCL repeat...

PSG star Ousmane Dembele said his desire to win hasn’t dropped at all as he spoke ahead of the Champions League final vs Arsenal.

At the press conference before the final, Dembele discussed the team’s drive as reigning champions and also updated reporters on his fitness.

Kicking off the press conference, Dembele made it clear he has plenty of respect for Arsenal.

“Arsenal is an excellent team, we’ve seen them running away with the Premier League title and what they showed us in the Champions League.

“They deserve to be in the final. They play great football across the board. They’ve got an exceptional coach, too,” he said.

The French winger said lifting the Ballon d’Or last year hasn’t changed his drive one bit.

“It hasn’t changed how I play or who I am. I think I just have more responsibility on my shoulders since I came to PSG. Nothing changed with my winning appetite though, I still want l wear silverware with our team.

“Individual prizes got the people talking, but for me, the most important thing is winning with PSG,” Dembele continued.

PSG fans were a little worried after Dembele picked up a calf injury at the end of the Ligue 1 season, but the player said he was confident he’d be fit for Budapest.

“I wasn’t scared about missing the final, I had 10-15 days to get ready. The season was quite difficult for everyone at PSG, we didn’t have a lot of downtime. But we’re 100% ready to go,” he said, mentioning the packed schedule of PSG.

The reigning champions barely had a pre-season, going straight from the Club World Cup into the Super Cup and then the new campaign.

“We’re trying to be ready physically, the coach gave us a lot of rest days. He and his staff have meticulously planned all the games. But I like playing lots of games, that means you make it far,” Dembele said.

Talking about his coach, Dembele said Luis Enrique ranks among the best managers he’s ever had.

“He’s helped me progress a lot, with and without the ball. I try to implement all the tactical advice he gives me. But I’m also surrounded by incredible players, which makes it easier for me,” he explained.

📋 The squad for the final! ⚔️🔴🔵#UCL pic.twitter.com/7Zon8q9KZi

— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) May 29, 2026

The 29-year-old spoke about PSG’s goal of matching last year’s triumph and winning it all again.

“We always want to be playing the Champions League final. It was a historical time. We are a young, highly ambitious squad. Winning tomorrow is important for us and if we could pull it off, winning again would be historical.

"We’re on a high, we make the most of these moments. We’ve got incredible staff, players, desire to win. We know we can win the Champions League,” he stated.

🇭🇺 On the way to Budapest!#UCLFinal pic.twitter.com/D9rg8UMzZU

— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) May 29, 2026